A New Game
by xStaticxTelevisionx
Summary: And now, I present to you, the sequel to An Old Role! Now that Alice has locked herself away in the tower, what are the other residents of Wonderland to do? The longer she remains in isolation, the more her sanity breaks... T.
1. Chapter 1

**GUESS WHO'S BACK? Not that I really even left. . Here is the next installment of an Old Role. I think I'm going to try to make this one a little more...fluent than the first. (That's the word I'm looking for right?) The first story seemed a bit choppy. The only scenes that really came out well were the ones I had envisioned and had the most fun writing. I'm hoping I can up the quality and write decently in a more consistent fashion. Please leave some reviews, and let me know how that's going.**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Few enough people lived to tell the tale after encountering him in a bad mood. Today, even fewer made that list. It had only been twenty-four hours since Alice had stowed herself away in her tower, her land now overrun with beasts that would kill anything in sight, and yet already this man was distraught.

His employer had permitted him to hunt again, as now that the storm was no longer a threat, a little backlog would be harmless. He had started with the rebels.

The man stepped softly through the night-blackened forest, careful to keep his feet from snapping dry twigs or rustling the brush. The greenery, usually so vivid in the daytime, was near invisible, providing barriers and traps for anyone stupid enough to be wandering around at night. But a sliver of moon lit up the sky, and thunder from the Mountains could faintly be heard, however only one noise outmatched the lightning strikes.

A rebel campsite had been set up, and these men and women were clearly novices. They had set themselves up in a clearing, leaving themselves completely exposed. They had multiple campfires set alight, releasing a ridiculous amount of smoke into the air. Their voices were joyful and boisterous, and there was absolutely no one keeping watch for intruders. After the isolation of the Jabberwocky, they had gotten cocky, acting as though they were the ones who had taken her down, when in fact, they'd had absolutely nothing to do with the matter.

However, if they wanted the credit, well, who was he to complain? If they wanted credit, then they would be more than happy to reap the consequences right?

The man skirted around the edges of the temporary settlement, and waited. Not many people enjoyed the night - it was often too dark for them to continue on with daily activities - and so it wasn't long until the rebels had finished their dinners and extinguished the fires. He watched as the last of the light died, and listened as the tents zipped shut. He heard the rustling of changing clothes, and then the voices slowly quieting. Eventually, all he could hear was the even sounds of sleeping people.

They would never know what hit them.

/*\

She missed her young companion horribly. The woman sat in her over-large bedroom entirely alone at the tea-table underneath her bed, a small stuffed animal sitting in her lap. It had been her friends favorite to snuggle up with, on her many visits to this particular room. It was a simple bear, it's fur gleaming golden brown. The fabric it was constructed of was fluffy, and softer than silk, and it was unornamented but for two black button eyes, a sewn-on nose and mouth, and a pretty blue lace ribbon tied around it's neck.

Letting her hands encase the little object carefully, as though it were a priceless porcelain antique, she called for the maids to bring tea. Once they had done their duties, she asked that they leave, and the woman picked up her cup and sipped at the hot liquid. No one guessed the grief she was currently enduring, and that was her intention.

She couldn't ever remember feeling this lonely.

Though the girl had only been gone a day, the older woman was already drowning into the depths of solitude and depression. It was one thing if the separation was thought to be temporary.

It was quite another when she knew that she'd never see the girl again.

/*\

Heavy panting filled the darkened room. It was night, and the bedroom drapes hid the two people from curious eyes and invading lantern-light. As his hands glided over her sweat-dampened skin, and lips harshly met lips, he could almost pretend it was her.

It had been a long time since he'd had an affair with a faceless, with anyone. He'd always been hesitant in such matters, especially after taking his Role, but now he threw himself into them with a reckless abandon that worried those closest to him.

It was entirely this girl's fault. He hadn't asked her to have long, silky gold hair, straight as a board. He hadn't asked her to be petite and dainty. He hadn't asked her to have a similarly round face nor did he ask that she have the same creamy white skin.

He hadn't asked her to look so much like _her_. So he could not be blamed if he had cornered her in one of the hallways and demanded she make her way to his bedroom in approximately one hour. He hadn't even asked her name, and simply used the one of the girl he truly desired.

But still, there was fault here. _She_ would have never answered one such request as this faceless girl did. In fact, he'd wager that _she_ would have brutally murdered him before she looked away and said, "As you like." She never would have allowed herself to be caught in his bedroom, and - if by some miracle she ever agreed to be so intimate with him - she most certainly wouldn't have tolerated his domineering behavior. She wouldn't let him pin her to the bed, and she wouldn't sit tamely and let him do as he pleased. She wouldn't have choked out his name in a simultaneously fearful and pleading manner. One such situation would have been entirely on her terms.

No, it was all wrong. He thought that shutting off the lights would make him forget that he could not look into a pair of fearsome turquoise eyes, but it wasn't that easy. As much as he wanted to pretend, there was simply too much wrong with the servant girl's behavior. _She_ would be so much harder to win over. It would never have been so simple, _she _was simply too tricky to be so easily caught. He couldn't convince himself that the girl in his bed was someone else. So once he'd had his way with her, he let her rest a moment, and then he asked that she collect herself and leave.

He listened as the girl lifted herself to her feet and stumbled a bit. He heard her shuffle into her corset and petticoat, and listened as she tied the pieces together. He also heard her quiet weeping the entire time.

He had thought himself too superior to fall for the Foreigner. He had thought himself immune to the magics of Wonderland that forced him to find her oh so very alluring. He had thought that - as always - he would be the one in control.

Now look where his arrogance had left him.

/*\

_Tick, tock, tick, tock._

The sounds in the workshop were ever increasing. He twisted a countless number of screws, repositioned hundreds of clock hands, and replaced dozens of round glass panes. All he ever did was work, but tonight...Nothing could persuade him to stop.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock._

He tried to pretend the coffee he was drinking only deserved 82 points, but it was no use. As much as he'd liked her, she did not make nice coffee. She'd been getting better but...so many things had gotten in the way. The vial had vanished and she left with it, but that had been alright.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock._

She still visited, so he could choke down her coffee. On the occasions she showed up, she would still do his household chores, she'd make his food, and she'd sit at his desk to watch him work. She had made such an impact on his life, that recovering from the loss of her assistance had been damn near impossible.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock._

From the outside, he might have looked fine. Again, all the man did was work, and right now was no exception, but those who knew him well...They would see the strain in his fingers, the slight scrunching of his eyebrows. They would see the renewed speed with which he worked, and the rarity with which he sipped his coffee. He was upset, and though he'd tell himself time and again that everything was alright...

_Tick, tock, tick, tock._

He put down his screwdriver and sighed, glaring down at the timepiece. Fine. He missed her. There, he acknowledged it, but he did not feel better in the least. She had been one of the only people he could tolerate, and she was the only person he had ever genuinely felt anything more than "like" for. His mother would have had a field day with this. He sighed and picked the screwdriver back up. He didn't know of any way to get her back.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock._

He would never be graced with the sight of her smiling face ever again, and there was nothing he could do about it.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock._

/*\

At last, the time was here! After unending practices, hardcore training, countless public speaking lessons, and several deaths, the show was finally perfect! It was perfect...except for that one small act.

It wasn't that the performers were messing up, and it wasn't that the animals were throwing hissy fits. In fact, it was acted out quite smoothly, with zero issue. The acrobats landed on the assigned places, the tigers entirely cooperative. The horses did not spook, and the knife throwers had a gorgeous sort of precision he hadn't seen for years. Still, the man could not help but think that it was missing something.

Then a voice, emanating from the mask on his belt, piped up.

"What if we lit the throwing knives on fire?"

Yes, that would do! Fire was always a good fall back. Especially since it might appeal to their surprise guest.

**/*\**

**Wow. Only one chapter and already, angst, angst, some plotting, and more angst. Lot's of grief too. Some of them are dealing better than others. xD So how's that for a first chapter? I feel quite satisfied with it.**

**-Static**


	2. Chapter 2

**Another chapter. No daily updates anymore, I don't think. I'm working both at school and trying to find a job, so I'm not going to have as much time to write. At least not until I'm done with school. Sorry. :P But I can promise that there will be at least two posts from me per week. Please R&amp;R! :D**

**-Static**

**/*\**

People were flooding to the circus. The faceless had already overrun the place when the Role-Holders started to arrive. Nightmare and Gray were the first to show up, followed shortly by Julius. Next were those of Heart Castle, the Knave and Prime Minister flanking the Queen. Afterwards, the Amusement Park group, Boris begging Gowland to abandon his notebook. The performances at the Circus may be better, but the Amusement Park's rides far surpassed those found here. Pierce was idly looking around.

In minutes the tent was fully occupied, and the first show of April Season was about to start. Each of the curtains used as doors had been dropped, eviscerating the natural light, and the lamps, save one, had dimmed. The single spotlight was resting on the Jester, and the excited twittering of the guests had started to quiet. The Role Holders took their places in the seats of honor, near the front, but they couldn't help but notice there was an extra seat, not too far away from where the Mafia should have been sitting.

It was decorated similarly to the Queen's little throne that Joker always set up for her. It was silver and black, and had intricate woven patterns painted on the back and armrest, with a peculiar looking image - a braided design of a winged serpent - just above where a petite girl's head might rest...

There was no way that Joker was unaware of the events that had occurred not one day ago, and yet he still set a place for the Jabberwocky?

As though by a silent, unifying agreement, the Role-Holders decided something. They did not intend to let this mockery be overlooked.

/*\

Elliot was worried. Like it wasn't bad enough that Blood was insisting on procrastinating, wandering through the halls of the mansion and making inquiries of the servants, but now, even the not-rabbit's Role was getting on his case.

_Uhh..._ The voice trailed off, sarcastic but still concerned, _You know the circus is starting soon right? And you know that you kind of need to BE THERE, right?_

_I know!_ He snarled back.

"Blood!" Elliot called, "Why is this servant so important? I mean, I know you sort of took out your frustrations on her..."

It was true. The servant girl whom Blood had commanded visit his bedroom the night period after Alice's leaving had disappeared. She was nowhere to be found, and secretly, Elliot really couldn't blame her.

It wasn't her fault that she had looked just a little too much like their beloved foreigner, and it wasn't her fault that their boss was terrible at dealing with his emotions.

However, that being said, they did not have time to be worrying over her right now. They couldn't miss the Circus. If they did, then that would be outright breaking the Rules, and they would be tossed out of the game. They couldn't allow that to happen.

"Boss..." A small voice trailed off. Wonderful. _Why_ did those brats have to show up _now_? "Chickie-Rabbit's right. We should really get going."

...What? Did they seriously just agree with him?

"Our Roles are flipping out." The other twin stated. "We promise we'll hunt her down when we get back, but right now we _really_ gotta be at the circus!"

Blood knew they were right, but he was stressed. He would not have been so worried if it wasn't for the fact that, if she told someone what he had done...

It wasn't like his reputation would go down the drain. He was the Mafia after all, he wasn't exactly known for his kindness. Ordering a pretty servant to sleep with him was hardly the worst thing he'd ever done.

No, he wasn't worried about that, he was worried that word might get to Alice. She might be locked up in her tower now, but the Rule was that she needed to at least monitor what was going on in the outside world. Once she heard that he'd basically forced a helpless girl into his bed...

Well, she might not allow him to live this time. She was far too capable of empathy than any Role-Holder had the right to be, and considering what had almost happened to her in that asylum...

He was a proud man, but even he didn't think he could successfully fight a dragon. However, his companions were correct. Losing the Game would do him no favors.

"Alright," The Mafia boss said, straightening his tie, "Let's go."

/*\

When the circus had ended, all of the Role-Holders left. Not a second had passed before each and every one of them vacated the tent, more than furious.

She might have taken one of the most unfortunate of Roles, but that didn't make them love her any less. Ultimately, she was still the Foreigner - not like her family members, they were not considered valid - and so the magical forces of Wonderland still held her in high esteem.

She had sacrificed herself for them. She had locked herself in her tower, and surrounded herself with the clouds of the insanity-inducing storm. She could have used it to control all of Wonderland and yet...

She had still chosen to take the fall for them.

Because she loved them just as much as they loved her.

The noon day sun roasted any and all who did not escape it's blistering heat soon enough, and the Role-Holder groups split away from each other, mulling things over across the area of the circus. The Mafia had arrived just in time, and they too had observed their host's bad joke. They were just as displeased as everyone else, but ultimately, it was not they who decided to take action.

"Prime Minister White," Vivaldi had stated, walking away from the tent towards the shade of a cotton candy stall. "We order you to investigate the wall." This caught the white rabbit's attention.

"Really?" he asked, "Why?"

"We want to know of any and all weaknesses you may find." Was the only answer the Queen offered, before she sauntered off, her regal form parting the crowd of people in her way.

/*\

After the circus, Joker quietly laughed to himself. His peers were simply far too predictable. They saw the Jabberwocky's chair and they all just about rioted. They thought he was making fun of them, and their sadness over the Foreigner's tragic fate, and though that was certainly something he might be inclined to do...

They had overlooked something. To an extent, all of the Role-Holders knew a little bit about each other's Roles in the Game. They would have to, in order to play, but they had not taken into account one of Joker's other widely known purposes in this world.

Yes, it was his duty to misguide people and manage those who broke the Rules, but there was one other thing he was required to do here.

He had to give the Ones with Duties forewarning.

But if they were too stupid to be able to comprehend his message...that wasn't his problem.

/*\

When the Jester had made his way down to see the Warden, he discovered that his counterpart had found the very thing they needed in order to complete the bargain.

The Warden had searched the storage rooms underneath the prison. These rooms were only used for items that they would need in order to keep the upper hand over all of their...colleagues, within Wonderland. After all, one could not enforce the Rules if they did not have a certain amount of trump cards. It was in one of these rooms that the Warden had found it. The one thing they could use to keep the Dragon in check.

He had dragged it out into the hallway and investigated the contents just as the Harlequin had ended the show. It was a four-by-four box, maybe three feet tall, and to anyone else, it would appear as nothing more than a crate of circus candy, something that would be sold at any of the stalls outside of the tent. However, if one looked more closely, they could see the fault with this theory.

Yes, the little pieces were engulfed in shiny colored paper, metallic greens and blues and pinks, but they were different. The paper was sharp, and stiff as steel, and no matter who tried to open one of these treats, or what tools they used, there was no way to extract the "candies" from their foil prison, save one.

Ahh, yes, just what the two needed.

The medicine.

Now all they were required to do was wait.

/*\

Alice hadn't felt this miserable since the asylum.

She was stretched out on her stark-white bed face-down, in her thin little nightgown, with the glass panes of her windows closed. It dulled the noise from the storm a bit, but it was still loud. Louder still was the Role.

_It's really a pity, that he didn't get to go through with his plan for you._ The voice hissed maliciously as the thunder and lighting raged on outside. _Perhaps such a traumatic experience might have made you _stronger. _More worthy of my title._ She finished. Alice could almost imagine the woman behind the voice, and the way her tail might lash in irritation. _You are so _weak_. It's pathetic._

_If I am so pathetic,_ Alice snarked back, unwilling to let this crazy b*tch have the last word, _How is it, that I was able to _force_ you to allow me access to every bit of power you have?_

To this the Role said nothing, but it did release a horrible screeching noise that hurt Alice's head. Nothing had ever sounded so painfully high-pitched. It was like the sound of nails on a chalkboard, something that set her teeth on edge, and her mind reeling, but thousands of times louder. As it shrieked through her mind, it brought tears to her eyes, and she wanted it to stop immediately.

"AHHH!" She screamed, trying to cover her ears in spite of the fact that she knew it was no use. It was all in her head, the Role was doing it, the sound wasn't actually physical.

But it felt like it.

/*\

Henry and Charles were locked up in Hatter Mansion.

Or rather, _underneath_, Hatter Mansion.

After the conversation with Blood Dupre, the two men had been escorted by those horrifying twin boys. They had assumed they might be going back to the rooms assigned to them initially, when they had first been brought here, but that had not been the case.

The boys had taken them into a courtyard. Confused, and a bit irritated, Henry had questioned the two children. He'd been tired and cranky and in desperate need of sleep, and he was not in the mood for putting up with pranks.

"Aren't you supposed to be bringing us to rooms?" The older man had questioned, more than a little irked. The twins merely smiled.

"We are." One stated, while the other one pressed a seemingly invisible button in the wall.

A panel opened, and just as Henry and Charles stepped forward to investigate it, they both felt blinding pain in the backs of their skulls, and blacked out.

When they awoke, they had found themselves...back in the Queens dungeons? No, the place in the castle had windows. All they had for light down here was lamp and torchlight. They were in a cell. It contained two cots, one on each side, and one manacle was chained on each man's left leg, attaching them to the wall. The floor was slightly slanted, and a small drain resided in the center of the small space. As Charles and Henry looked around, they soon realized the purpose of this drain.

Directly across from them, resting in his own worse-for-wear cot, was a torture victim. It was a little like what they had seen at the castle, but this man was in far worse condition. Through the cell's iron bars, they could see the two manacles were chained to his wrists. He was thin and emaciated, as though he only ever got enough food to stay alive, and his clothes were so ragged and dirty that the two men suspected he had been there for quite some time. His hands were scarred and his fingers looked like claws, and scars laced over every visible bit of skin. They could see brownish splotches covering the floor, and the stains on the metal of the drain.

He said nothing, and the two newcomers might have thought him dead, if it wasn't for the faint rise and fall of his chest. He was a prisoner here.

And now, they were too.

The sound of a door opening caught their attention, and in several minutes, they were looking up at the twins, who had utilized their strange ability to adjust their age. Now they appeared before them as young men, as opposed to ten-year-old boys.

"Now, it's our turn to talk to you." They stated in unison, a deceptively cheerful tone belying the cruel intentions behind their voices, smiling in a manner that made both of their new prisoners very, very nervous.

**/*\**

**Chapter 2! To be entirely honest with you guys...I was really hoping this would come out better. It feels...a little dead, in comparison to the first one. The only reason I'm submitting now as opposed to trying to make it better is because I have no idea how to do that. Penny for your thoughts?**

**-Static**


	3. Chapter 3

**Good day! I ended up not feeling so good today, so I took a day off school, and ended up with some extra writing time. Also: I was thinking about making Blood's faceless servant a more involved part of the story, as I'd had an interesting idea, however I'm not sure if I want to add another character to the mix. I'll add a section for her and see how it turns out, but if she vanishes after that, then don't be surprised, because that means I didn't like it. xD Please R&amp;R! :D**

**-Static**

**/*\**

The faceless girl felt quite traumatized, and even then, that did not even describe a fraction of how she felt. She had never once expected her boss to make one such request of her, of _anyone_. He wanted the Dragon, and even before the Foreigner's arrival in Wonderland, his flirtations with the women of the mansion had always been in good fun, never serious. He would never touch someone if he was not truly interested in her, and that unwavering knowledge had been one of the reasons that he had so many female workers.

They had always felt assured in the idea that neither their boss or his second-in-command would abuse their positions and take advantage of them.

Blood Dupre had been a good employer. He was not a cheapskate, in the manner of many of the other wealthy men of the country. He paid his employees fairly and in accordance with their work. Though he was a fearsome enemy to the other gangs of Wonderland as well as to the Role-Holders of the other territories, he had always put a huge emphasis on loyalty. Within Mafia ranks, he was actually considered a good man, who wouldn't use his power to intentionally harm those under him, at least he would not do so without purpose. That had been one of the reasons she had petitioned the March Hare for employment, rather than the creepy shop owner down the street of her home.

The Mafia was organized crime on a major scale. Like any corporation or country, it needed structure, and so though it was their business to break the rules, they still had a sort of moral code, and that code was well surmised by one simple rule.

You do not harm your own. Unless you betrayed the Mafia, or went directly against the head's orders, you had no worries.

The workers of Hatter Mansion had always been guaranteed safety on the Hatter's territory, assuming they were obedient and loyal. While no promises could be made for ventures against other gangs or territories, she had been a _maid_. Her job was to clean the rooms and cook food. She did not fight, she wasn't a spy, and she rarely ever stepped foot outside of the Mansion, never mind the territory. She felt secure in the notion of her personal safety.

So when the Hatter had cornered her in a dead-end hallway just as she finished her chores, she had been more than confused. She wanted to ask why he would give one such order, as he had never done so before in all the time he'd held his role, but she knew what happened to those who asked questions. There was a reason that the man in charge of the stables was rumored to be missing toes.

So, puzzled and more than a little worried, she had broken eye-contact with him, and quietly stated that she would do as he wished. That one hour was the fastest in her life. When it was up, she had hesitantly made her way to the bedroom, and found it dark. She moved to light a lamp when she had been ambushed from behind, and thrown onto a bed, her assaulter, in the manner of a brokenhearted boy, rather than a fierce Mafia leader, whispering "Alice, Alice, Alice," Over and over again.

That was when she realized what was happening. Though this was not something she would have wanted to agree to, she could sympathize with him certainly. It was harder than anything, to lose the person you loved most, but... She was still scared. She had been intimate before, with her husband, before he'd been shot off a cliff not two weeks after the ceremony, but this was new. Her loved one had never been so rough, so harsh, so blatantly wanting pleasure for only himself with no consideration for her. He ignored her pained cries and she repressed her instinct to demand he stop. He might have been a good boss before, but in his new state of reckless pain and desire...

She didn't want to find out if he really did cut the fingers and toes off of disobedient subordinates. She might have been inclined to hate him, had it not been for the stray tears leaking from his eyes onto her face that she _knew_ went unnoticed by him. The Mafia boss had only ever brought mistresses to the mansion - she had always been the one to clean up after them - and that had been very, very rare and not once had they remained. He'd never had an emotional attachment before, and now that he'd lost her...well, how could he be expected to know how to deal with it?

However, that did not mean the servant would forgive him for this.

When it was over, she took a moment to revel in her own relief. He had finally been sated, and he was allowing her to recover. When his quiet, deadened voice asked that she leave, she was grateful, but when she stood up, only then did she realize the true extent of damage done to her body. Nothing irreparable, but moving hurt. She couldn't keep herself from crying as she put the many layers of her dress back on.

So much for her supposed safety.

Immediately afterwards, she had retreated to her room to rest and take a painkiller. Once she was able to do so, she had stood up, packed up her meager belongings, and walked down through the hallways. She did her best not to be seen until she reached her destination.

She had slipped her room key and a short, unsigned note of resignation under the door of the March Hare's bedroom, for he rarely used his office, and - having changed into a set of normal clothes - got out of the mansion as fast as she could. She had left her uniform in her closet, and with any luck, the Role-Holders would never find out who she was. They couldn't tell the faceless apart.

There was only one person who could do _that_.

/*\

When one of the magical stone gargoyles had flown to the tower and told Alice that a former Mafia servant had approached the Wall, she was both grateful and confused. She was grateful because, whenever someone - or in this case some_thing_ \- talked to her, the Jabberwocky had the good graces to shut up. She was confused because, well, it was common knowledge that she hated Blood. Of all the other, safer territories to go to, why would one of his come to _her_?

She requested that the gargoyle bring this servant to the Tower, and to do it via the secret underground tunnels.

It would not do to have her torn to pieces by the monsters.

/*\

"What are you doing here?" an indignant voice asked. Peter White had indeed followed the Queens orders - if it involved Alice, he'd do it - and investigated the wall. He'd run through the forest in his faster rabbit form, and inspected each and every stone brick that he'd come upon, looking for any thinkable fault.

It was his regret to find out that the marble was stronger than any material he'd ever seen. When he'd experimentally shot at it - with several different types of guns and bullets - not the slightest of scratches had been left. Destroying a part of the wall was out of the question.

After several minutes of thought, he was going to attempt the method of climbing over when that voice had sounded. The white rabbit had whirled, and realizing he was in no danger, merely narrowed his eyes.

"What about you, Clockmaker?" The rabbit retorted. "Don't you have clocks to fix?" The man merely raised an eyebrow.

"That is none of your concern."

"Then I might say the same to you."

The two merely glared at each other for a moment, before Peter finally sighed.

"I'm looking for a way to get past the wall." He snarled, as Julius approached the cold stone bricks.

"I heard gunshots, was that you?" And the rabbit reluctantly nodded. He didn't like that the Clockmaker was so close with Alice, he never had. In fact, he would have happily shot him then and there if it wasn't for the fact that - right now - having an ally in this endeavor just might result in getting Alice to safety that much faster.

For now, Peter would let him live, just until his beloved was rescued.

"Indeed, but nothing seems to work. No type of gun or bullet can penetrate it." The Clockmaker nodded,

"I tried digging underneath it not too far from here. The bricks are embedded too deep into the earth."

"That leaves climbing over." And Julius shook his head.

"I don't think that will work. Do you see the gargoyles?"

On top of the wall, there were small turrets spaced roughly fifty feet from each other, in every direction. These turrets housed gargoyles, and these gargoyles were the defenders of the Wall. According to the history texts, they would only attack in the event that someone attempted to climb it. That being said, they would not kill the intruder, instead, they would bring the offender to the Dragon, and he or she would condemn them as they saw fit.

Naturally, this would be thought of as the most direct method of contacting Alice, however there was one issue: the storm.

The gargoyles were embedded with some sort of enchantment that allowed them immunity to any and all supernatural powers, and that included the Jabberwocky's deadly storm. They could make it through the clouds and acid rain no problem. Their prisoners?

Not so much.

Peter looked over at Julius.

"I don't think our chances would be very good." And to that the Clockmaker...smirked?

"We would not allow them to take us all the way to the Tower," he stated, "We just need them to get us over to the other side." Then he pulled a length of rope and a hook out of his jacket.

/*\

From the moment Alice had teleported her sisters and friends out into the forest clearing, Lorina had known something was quite amiss. She didn't quite catch everything that was going on that moment, but the man with the neck tattoo - Gray - and his boss - the one with the eye-patch, what was his name, Nightshade? Nightmare? Something pretentious like that - had immediately stated that they would take care of the two sisters.

Strangely enough, the Mad Hatter had seemed okay with this, as he had given shelter to the other half of the family. Then, he_ had_ abandoned them in the mansion with those monsters, so maybe he knew that, even if he offered, the woman and girl might not accept.

Either way, they were now residing in what was left of Clover Tower. It didn't look much like a tower - there were only three usable floors - but they were given to understand it had been a great deal taller, before Alice's storm had hit.

Julius had accompanied them as well, and though Lorina hadn't known him long, she could see that - of her three hosts - he was by far the most destroyed by Alice's sacrifice.

On the way to the not-tower, Gray had explained in full what Alice had done. The storm - unintentionally shaped - created insanity wherever it went, and she had stationed it around the tower, with her inside at the eye. She could not leave, for if she did, the storm would be let loose once more, and Wonderland would once more be cast into danger.

It seemed that this man had come to know her well enough to be aware that Alice would never allow that to happen. Because she had no idea how to destroy the storm, she had anchored herself to it. She would allow her mental state to slowly depreciate, up to the point that she may not even remember who any of them are. However, she would remember why she locked herself up with the storm, and so as time went on, things would either remain the same, or she would venture out into the world once more.

If it was the latter, Gray estimated it might not happen for a few hundred years.

All in all, it didn't sound all that different, from what the Queen of Hearts had said to Lorina and Charles that day, when Alice had gotten shot.

Their universe that housed Wonderland was an unstable one. Only one Outsider at a time could show up, for more than one would create an imbalance, and their world would slowly destroy itself. First, the Role-Holders would lose their minds, and then the faceless would devolve into anarchy, and then there would be things like earthquakes, erupting volcanoes, and myriads of other natural disasters, completely wiping out everything.

This is what would happen if more than one Foreigner was allowed into the Wonderworld, because the Rules of the Game had never accounted for more than one, and technically, Alice was _still_ the Foreigner.

If the rest of the Liddell family did not leave, and soon, this lovely place would be entirely ripped apart, no matter the penance that Alice had sentenced herself to.

**/*\**

**So yeah, even though Alice has locked herself away, WONDERLAND IS STILL IN DANGER! AAHHH! But anyways, TekoloKuautli (did I spell your name right?) asked a good question. Alice did not get dropped from the Game because it's actually not against the Rules for them to ditch an event - here, the Circus - if they have a good excuse. As Alice's isolation is the main reason for the universe not immediately imploding, she got to have a pass. :P Please let me know if my writing is still consistent. :3 The second and third chapter of an Old Role were a mess, so I want to know if I did better with these. :P **

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	4. Chapter 4

**So...did you guys like the servant's perspective on things? I thought it came out okay, but I'm still a little uncertain. Opinions?**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Alice was sitting on her bed, waiting impatiently. The sooner the girl got here, the sooner her Role would be quiet again.

The Jabberwocky's one voice had turned into two, then three, then four. Her voice echoed through Alice's mind with cruel intent and malicious words. She was starting to wonder if she was going legitimately insane. The only thing that would reassure her that her mind was intact was the silence that would come when she was in the company of other people.

That had been part of the reason she had wanted Julius to remain in her room with her when she was healing at Heart Castle.

/*\

When Elliot had returned to the mansion, he immediately retreated to his bedroom. He didn't care about all the work that had to be done, right at that moment, he was exhausted. The circus had not been fun this year. The moment they had seen the Dragon's seat...well the mood had sunk pretty fast.

The man unlocked the door and stepped in, and he would have proceeded to his dresser had it not been for the light sound of crunching under his boot. One ear flattening in surprise, he stepped back, and inspected the floor.

It was an envelope addressed to him, now a slight bit crumpled, as well as a room key. He lifted the two items and closed his door. He set them on his nightstand and took a moment to remove his boots before he slumped down onto the bed and looked over the note.

It was unusual for a servant of the mansion to quit. The job paid well and they were all treated pretty much the same. There was also the fact that - a great deal of the time - those released servants were met with harsh effects back in their home towns. The Mafia wasn't popular, even in it's own territory. Many former workers were not well received when they returned to their families.

No, when people quit it meant something major had happened, something that they were not willing to endure again.

The Hare had the sinking feeling he knew what had happened to this particular servant.

/*\

After Elliot had found the note under his door, the twins had been sent to investigate it. They weren't entirely sure why this was so important - Boss had never been so interested in a servant to have _them_ look into the issue - but either way, it wasn't guarding the gate. They dashed into the room the key belonged to, and searched it for any and all personal effects - anything that might tell them who this had been - with very little luck. Whoever had lived here had cleaned the room out fairly well so far. All that was left was what had been provided by the Mafia.

Upon inspecting the closet, however, the twins found that the one of the maid's uniforms looked a bit crumpled. It wasn't pressed, and so had the odd wrinkle here and there, and it smelled faintly of sweat and rose-oil perfume.

"Maybe we should take it to the hunting dogs?" Dee asked, looking to his brother for approval. Dum snorted,

"When have we ever needed _dogs _to hunt?" He growled, almost appearing insulted. It was true. Their tracking skills were unrivaled. He moved to take the uniform on the hook when Dee had called out from the bathroom.

"Hey, brother look!" He exclaimed, and then returned with a half-empty bottle of painkillers. "I found this knocked over on the counter. Most of the pills had spilled out but..." He trailed off, and the two siblings shared equally chilling smiles.

"She left a scent _and_ she's injured." Dum stated,

"This time's gonna be easy." Dee answered, ripping the dress off the hanger.

/*\

Ace was feeling irked. First Peter vanished, and while that in itself was not exactly a remarkable occurrence, it was quite unusual for Vivaldi to condone the absence. Unwilling to get lost this time - he had a bunch of clocks at the castle that he needed to deliver to Julius - he had followed the Queen, and watched as she spoke to the white rabbit. The Prime Minister had looked shocked, and that look had soon vanished into something a little more stoic.

The rabbit had nodded, and sprung away into the crowd.

What had she told him?

Upon asking the Queen what had happened, she had merely brushed it off.

"That is none of your concern." The Knave merely raised an eyebrow,

"You see, and it was the concern of no one but myself when the creatures overran the country." He shot back without missing a beat.

It was true. Once the monsters had shown up, the Queen had commanded he return to the castle. Upon doing so, she had demanded that he take care of it.

It apparently had not occurred to her that his subordinates had transformed as well, and though he was by far the best swordsman in all of Wonderland...

He was still just one person.

That was when they had made their way to Alice's tower.

Now he was being treated as though he were of little use. This both pleased and infuriated him. Sure, it meant he was that much closer to dropping the Role, but to be so quickly disregarded?

He couldn't help but to bristle.

"My Queen," He tried again, when she had turned away huffing, "I only ask because I have things I need to do as well." Wait. Maybe bringing up his other job wasn't such a good idea right now...

"..."

Great.

"You may do as you like," She stated, "But we must first ask you to attend to your work."

Seriously?

/*\

Cats generally did not have a very long attention span. They were easily bored, and oftentimes had very little consideration for those outside themselves. This had been true of the Cheshire Cat, at least it had been up until the Foreigner had showed up.

Sure, she could be a little boring on occasion, and definitely a killjoy, but at the same time...

He couldn't help but to feel interested by her. She was different from everyone else. She had a face and yet was not a Role-Holder. She cared about life even though it could be replaced time and again. More than that, she had a _heartbeat_.

His fascination with her heart was unlike Ace's in that it was probably not as unhealthy. Ace _wanted_ that sound for himself. Given the chance, Ace would probably cut it out of her chest, just to see what it looked like, maybe even try to implant it in himself.

It would, after all, give him complete and total freedom from his Role.

But Boris digressed. Her heartbeat was intriguing in that it sounded differently from the clocks. It thudded rather than ticked, and it would speed up or slow down depending on her emotions and how much he might tease her. It was a rather fun toy, that he'd had yet to tire of.

And then she turned into a dragon.

Naturally, with Alice now ranking higher up on the food chain than him, his instincts told him to avoid her at all costs. However, his instincts also told him that he shouldn't engage the guards at Heart Castle so often.

Nothing had changed between them, and for a while Boris had thought that to be a good thing. He didn't look at her with abject horror on his face in the manner of the other Role-Holders, and he had the advantage of being a cat.

It hadn't taken him long to figure out that Alice absolutely adored cats. Once he'd pieced together her fixation with the fickle creatures, he found her just a little easier to catch. Many a day at the Amusement Park would be spent with the two locked up in his apartment where no one would find them. She had always objected, but then he would convince her to scratch him behind the ears, and he would purr for her to her hearts content. She had once told him that she liked it when he purred. It reminded her of her cat back home (which he had been immensely jealous of until he found out it was a _non-humanoid_ cat) and so recalled a sense of warmth and security and safety.

Though the Cheshire Cat had always been a free creature, he had not minded being _hers_, even if she might not have been _his_.

That settled it. He grabbed his favorite gun, a semi-automatic rifle, two pistols, and several bullet magazines. Thinking over his decisions, he also made room for a saber, just in case.

If this endeavor worked, she would be more than furious. This was far more dangerous than a game of hide-and-seek in the Queen's rose gardens, but at the same time...

She always forgave him.

**/*\**

**Alright, so I'm gonna level with you here. I completely BSed this chapter. I wasn't entirely sure what to do, so I just sat down and threw out words. XP But it still seemed alright enough to post and it's consistent with the story. So will you guys please let me know how this chapter is in comparison with the other three? Please?**

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	5. Chapter 5

**Alright...so I **_**think**_** this is going to come out better...? Also, it's been brought to my attention that Ace is actually a knight, not a knave...I feel quite stupid. Anyone know how I might go about reviewing the chapters and fixing this mistake? ':D R&amp;R!**

**-Static**

**/*\**

When the servant girl had finally arrived, Alice had led her into the den. It was a rather cozy room. There was a large fireplace, surrounded by a well-sized chaise and two small armchairs with a rectangular, darkly-colored table sitting in the middle. Exempting the table, it was colored in a similar fashion to the bedroom. Everything was the same hue of white.

"Tea?" The dragon had asked once her guest was settled, and the girl moved to stand up.

"I'll make it." She stated, and walk towards the kitchen, but Alice was swift to stop her.

"No, no, it's fine."

"But I am the intruder in your home." And it looked as though the faceless truly believed that. She could see the way the girl's eyebrows pressed together, and the slight frown forming across her lips. Alice ordered the girl to sit down, and though she was hesitant, the faceless did as she was told.

It hadn't exactly been long since Alice had been alone, but the voices in her head had taken complete and utter advantage of the situation. All they did was talk, and they didn't even say interesting things either. Kill the Role-Holders, you're worthless, weak little human, etc. It got very old very quickly. They stopped when she had company, and so exempting the quiet and humble voice of the servant, the noise in Alice's head had quieted. Her mind was still intact.

At least for now it was.

The Dragon shook her head.

"You are not intruding. If you were not welcome here, I would not have sent the gargoyle to bring you to me safely." It was true. She could have just left her outside the wall. If the Jabberwocky had wrangled enough influence from Alice, she might have asked the gargoyle to kill the girl. With not another syllable spoken, Alice had moved to the kitchen. It was a decent size. Against the left wall there was a stove large enough to cook five different dishes at once, and the rest of the surrounding counter space that could never be fully taken up. The island in the center was so bare, it still looked as though no one lived there. Sighing, the blonde filled up the tea kettle, and set it on the stove.

She really missed her cabin in the woods.

/*\

It was settled. The moment they were out of this predicament, Peter was going to kill the Clockmaker. The notion had never seemed so tempting.

The sullen man had never struck the rabbit as anything more than that-a bitter, though not-that-old mortician. Peter had never paid much attention to him before Alice's arrival. In all the time he had known him, Julius Monrey was always working, barely spending a second to attend to even his most basic needs.

And now, he was desperately clinging to this man's leg as they flew through the air.

Julius had actually thrown the hook to the top of the fifty-foot high wall. That in itself was surprising enough. Given his occupation, he shouldn't have that much physical strength. And then there was the fact that - upon closer inspection - Peter realized there was actually a _sword_ strapped to his back.

_Since when does the Clockmaker fight?_ The rabbit wondered.

_He - sometimes she - has always fought, just like everyone else. _A voice answered, _This one's just not as bloodthirsty as some of the others. In fact, the last one was quite the craz-_

_Not the time._ For that was when the misanthrope had actually started climbing the rope.

The gargoyle on the right had taken notice of this, and swiftly dove down to capture the man in it's iron grasp. It might have pierced some vital organs had it not been for the fact that Julius had managed to twist at the very last second so that it only caught his right arm. How had he done that?!

Naturally, Peter couldn't just stand by and watch. Though he was more than tempted to just let his love's former landlord die at the hands of the stone monstrosities, Alice liked him. If the white rabbit showed up and had to explain to her just why he'd done nothing as the Clockmaker was brutally murdered by a few stone statues...

Nope.

So, using his animal strength, he had jumped up, albeit reluctantly. However instead of grabbing onto the gargoyle, as intended, he'd fallen a few feet short. If he wanted to get over that wall, he had to grab onto the other Role Holder. So he did it, undignified as it was.

He might have been embarrassed, but was stoically waiting for his opportunity to drop to the ground. However, as the ground got further and further away, with the Clockmaker swearing profusely under his breath, something occurred to Peter. As he was lifted higher and higher into the air, he realized. These statues were basically indestructible. Sure, the Clockmaker was armed, but a sword would not do the trick.

How would they get it to release them?

/*\

The Dragon had finally quit talking, and so Alice's head belonged to no one but herself once more. As she sat down and had tea with her guest, she couldn't help but wonder what, exactly, was going on. The Mountains weren't safe, and that was common knowledge. If the wall and the gargoyles weren't enough of a deterrent, then surely her inhuman citizens and the raging storm would be. Why had she taken one such risk?

"So why did you leave?" And to that the girl froze, just for a split second, but it was enough for the Foreigner to notice. Her surprise and apprehension was erased by a smile in no time, but even then Alice could tell it was forced.

"I had a disagreement with the boss." She stated softly, "Seeing as it's quite...uncustomary for a servant to argue with the head, I felt it might be safer to leave." She didn't seem to be lying, but something didn't ring true here.

"What was the disagreement?" And without missing a beat, the maid answered,

"Oh, it was nothing. He asked that I attend to the rose gardens. That wasn't my job you see, so I had no idea how to take care of one such responsibility, so I suggested that maybe he should ask someone else to do it. Again, not that serious, but still..."

"Why come to me?"

"You're the only person Blood is too afraid of to cross, especially over a measly servant like me."

Alice might have been slowly losing her mind, but that didn't mean she was stupid.

No one here respected life. As long as Julius or another mortician (God forbid) was able to repair the clocks, it was fine. Yes, people still fought for their own lives, but it was rare for someone to fight so hard to preserve themselves. The idea of death was met with complete and utter apathy in Wonderland, and so that begged another question.

Why did she think herself so important that she decided to hide out in the mountains? The territory that now defined the word _danger_? As much as Blood loved his roses, he would _never_ put that much effort into killing someone when they hadn't even touched the flowers.

What had really happened?

/*\

Boris wasn't sure whether to laugh or laugh in full until he passed out.

When he had made his way to the wall, he had expected to find other Role-Holders. He knew he wasn't the only person who cared about Alice's well-being. As much as the competition p*ssed him off, he knew there would be little chance of a fight.

They would, after all, share a common goal.

But nothing had prepared him for the sight he was graced with now.

The cat had shifted into his animal form and had darted through the brush of the forest. He had run for almost half an hour when he had finally stumbled upon it.

The Wall.

His plan had been to speak to the gargoyles. Being the Cheshire Cat, he knew things that a few measly history books would never mention.

For instance, that one could actually converse with the stone statues. In fact, anyone could, assuming they thought to try. He had intended to ask the creature if it could bring him to the Dragon in a manner that would not kill him.

He had moved to approach a turret when his amazing hearing started picking up profanities. It sounded like that sociopathic white rabbit, and as Boris's curious nature took hold of him, he soon realized it was.

Once he pushed out of the trees, he found that - despite how dire the situation was - he had never been more amused in his life.

The Clockmaker, of all people, was grasping onto the stone leg of a gargoyle. Alright, he loved Alice too (even if he might not admit it) so it wasn't that surprising to see him here. However, there was the fact that the gargoyle was having trouble staying airborne. It's wings flapped in an absurdly strained manner, and the expression on it's face...the cat could only compare it to the look Dum would get when complaining that he, "Didn't get paid enough for this sh*t." Peter was clinging to Julius's foot, trying against all odds to hang on, and he was screaming - his voiced as high-pitched as a woman's in his complete and abject terror - about how brutally he was going to murder Julius.

As much as Boris would have been content to simply sit back and watch the show, he knew that he might need these two to get to Alice. So sighing in disappointment, he shifted back into his humanoid form, raised his gun, and shot several rounds up into the air.

/*\

Edith wasn't entirely sure what to make of her and her sister's situation. First, a man who looked like Charles had brought Lorina _back to life_. Then he had tossed her and the entire rest of the family down a hole when they'd gone to the cemetery that day. After that he had brought them to this insanely gorgeous mansion that held every luxury she could ever dream of, stating that it was all his and that he gave them permission to do as they liked.

After that, though, she had been reunited with her _other_ sister.

Who was now a demon.

At first, Edith had felt a little smug. She felt that it had been a justified fate for Alice, who hadn't cried at their mother's funeral and just up and vanished right before Lorina had passed. Was their family really so unimportant to her? However, the child was kinder than she allowed to acknowledge. She knew that Alice wasn't inherently evil, but at the same time...

Wasn't she grieving?

To a young girl like Edith, grief seemed simple. If someone died, you wept for them, because you were sad. If Alice hadn't cried, did that mean she wasn't sad?

Did she really feel nothing for her mother's death?

These were the girl's conscious thoughts, but underneath she knew she was wrong.

_No,_ she thought, _Alice is in just as much pain as the rest of us._ This had been proven, right before the middle sibling had returned to Jabberwocky Tower from the castle. She had summoned the youngest girl to her sickroom, and tried to make reparations.

And Edith had not reacted well.

She jumped out of her bed, and hastily - though quietly - got dressed. Then she poked her head out of her door. It was a night period, so there shouldn't be that many people up and about, however it would not do to get caught. Seeing that the coast was clear, the young girl tip-toed her way through the remains of Clover Tower, and dashed out the front door as fast as possible.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, she had no desire to leave Wonderland knowing she had hurt her sister so badly.

**/*\**

**I didn't forget about the conversation with Edith. In fact, I also haven't forgotten the letter Blood sent to Alice. It's just not going to come into play until a little later. ;P But anyways, please! R&amp;R! :DDDD**

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	6. Chapter 6

**So it would appear people are starting to want the one-shots in which Dragon Alice has babies with the guys like Peter and Boris. You guys are on to me. I'll admit it...I have no idea what to do. I mean seriously, how do you crossbreed a DRAGON and a RABBIT?! I mean, a dragon/cat won't be that hard, Toothless and all, but a RABBIT?**

**-Static**

**/*\**

It wasn't until another two time periods had passed that Ace had finally finished all the paperwork he'd been assigned. For once, the King didn't take his share, and so the Knave had been left unable to leave until he was finished.

After all, the Queen's wishes were his to obey.

As he donned his blood-stained cloak and took hold of the bag of clocks, he stalked down the hallways of the castle, careful to remain unseen. If one of the faceless saw him, and by some fluke managed to escape...well that wouldn't be good. He could defy his Role in secret, but if he were to openly deny the Queen, he would be entirely dropped from the game.

He wanted to lose his role, not his life.

As he crept through the night-darkened halls, he couldn't help but gaze upon the myriads of portraits lining the crimson walls. Queens through the ages, and their Knaves and Prime Ministers at each side. There he was, with the old hag, and then the previous Queen, and lastly at the end of the hall, an identical portrait with the Dame instead.

The one he'd painted, with the unreadable signature in the bottom right corner. The name he'd forgotten right in front of him, and he couldn't figure out what it was.

He'd always found it to be darkly ironic, that the castle he so hated ended up being his home. He detested the monarchy, he always had. The Queens were more often than not raving lunatics, and while he felt no sympathy for _any_ of the Role-Holders, he had never held anything against them either. They hadn't asked to be chosen for such a huge task, so it was unfair to hate them for it in the manner of his fellows, but at the same time...they were terrifying. They held the secrets to the universe, and yet they were by far the most violent and careless of Wonderland's citizens. _Why_?

As he exited the castle doors and started for Clover Tower, he couldn't help the dark smirk that made it's way across his face.

He knew why _now_.

/*\

When Ace arrived at the Tower with the clocks, he was more than irked to find out that Julius wasn't there. The man did nothing but work. _Why_ did he have to vanish now?!

He knew the answer as soon as the question flew through his mind.

Ace and Julius - as dysfunctional as their relationship was - were pretty much best friends. The Clockmaker was such a downer, so unimpressed with his existence, that he needed someone to be happy for him. Seeing as he'd provided the wayward Knave with the first steps to freedom, Ace hadn't minded doing that for him. It was a fairly small price to pay, and besides, once he got to know him, Ace found the misanthrope to be quite friendly, if in a rather unconventional manner.

In turn, the Clockmaker acted as the rational and practical side that Ace seemed to lack. The Knave was always dreaming, his head in the clouds when it should be more anchored to reality. Ace did nothing but wander, completely unaware of what to do with his life other than perform his Role. Even Julius could see how unhappy that made him, despite his ever-constant smile, and so he'd given Ace the starting position to an out, though it was not without benefit to himself.

They had been friends for almost two decades (in Wonderlandian Time anyway). Ace knew Julius better than he knew himself, so it didn't take him long to figure out where his absent boss was.

He left Clover, and headed to the North.

/*\

When the Twins had found themselves at a dead end, they could feel their stomachs drop. No, it had been far too easy, and now they knew why.

The way that girl had cleaned out her room...it had been impressive even by Mafia standards. It had been completely spotless but for those two red herrings, and the two boys-now-men should have realized that far sooner.

She hadn't left the uniform and pills by mistake. She would have known to dispose of them. No, she had wanted to be found. She wanted the Boss to know where she'd gone.

The Twins had been happily running through the forest in their adult forms, their two battle-axes destroying any obstacle in their way, whether it be plant, animal, or human. Her trail had been spotty here and there, but ultimately, they had no trouble finding her path.

Why hadn't they recognized her inconsistent pattern?

It wasn't until they'd found the end that the dark revelation had dawned on them, and they started to piece together the severity of the situation.

Directly in front of them was a stack of marble bricks, fifty feet high and spanning endlessly in both directions.

If the servant was really as insignificant as they'd thought...Why would the faceless girl go to the Jabberwocky?

/*\

The Mad Hatter was furious, and nothing Vivaldi did or said would calm him down.

"Brother!" she finally snapped, "Do you want your servants to find Us here?" That seemed to get his attention.

The Queen had known something was wrong the minute her baby brother sent for her. As always, the letter would simply appear in the secret drawer of her nightstand, but when she looked over the words, the panicked scrawl of the letters making it nearly illegible...clearly something had gone horribly wrong in his end of Wonderland.

So when she'd stepped into the rose garden, she had been prepared for a lot, but not the sight of her brother shooting endless rounds of bullets into trees and birds, the rose on his gun wilted. The little two-person table had been flipped on it's top, and both chairs were on their sides, one missing a leg. There were spots of dirt scraping the usually even tone of the grass, and the rose bushes looked as though they hadn't been tended to for a few time periods.

If that wasn't concerning enough...Blood himself was a mess. His stark white suit had specks of black and brown and red on it. His top hat had vanished, and his left glove was missing. One of his shoes was untied, and his eyes were ringed with circles so dark he could have been mistaken for a raccoon. His hair was greasy and sticking up and out at odd angles, and he looked very, very unhappy.

"Blood?!" The Queen exclaimed, momentarily forgetting the need for formalities. What had _happened_ to him? She suspected she knew what was going on, but until he started speaking, she had no context for the sight displayed before her.

Her brother whipped around as soon as he heard her voice, and for a moment it looked as if he was trying to process her face, as though he had momentarily forgotten who, exactly, she was.

"Sister..." He slurred, and stumbled a little as he approached her. Vivaldi was at a complete loss for what to do. She had never seen her brother in such a state, not even that one time he'd summoned her to the mansion when he was fifteen and had downed five bottles of vodka. (She could have killed the March Hare, and would have had it not blown their cover. The Queen was so happy when that ditzy waif had been replaced.)

"Brother," she regained her composure, "What has happened?" This seem to give Blood a certain amount of renewed energy, and he ran up to her and grabbed her shoulders,

"I screwed up," He choked out, "I screwed up, I screwed up, I screwed up..." And as he worked himself up again, he dashed away and started shooting bullets into everything he saw.

Once the Queen had finally managed to get his attention again, she grabbed his face, and made him look her in the eyes.

"You," she started, "Are going to sit down in the chair, and tell Us what happened." And she righted both the table and the one usable chair, sat down her brother, and used her powers to materialize a glass of rose water for him. In that moment, they were neither the Red Queen or the Mad Hatter.

They were simply a young, clueless man, and his worried elder sister.

/*\

It hadn't been long, not long at all, since the Amusement Park was up and running again. Had it not been for the stray bloodstain, the cleverly hidden pieces of broken pipeline, and the cracks in the outer walls of the buildings, no one would ever suspect something had happened.

It was almost back to how it had always been.

Gowland was simultaneously happy and sad. He had managed to get his park in good shape again, but at the same time...He too felt the loss of the Foreigner. He didn't love her the way that Boris or the Hatter did - he was far too old for her - but he had liked her. When he looked at her, he thought to himself, _If I'd ever gotten to have a daughter, I'd have wanted her to be like that._ He felt paternal towards her, rather than romantically invested.

He smiled at the customers and workers, and he started going over blueprints for several of his rides with those in charge of construction. None of them would know of his contemplations. Gowland had known her family hadn't been exactly kind to her, but once the Twins had told Boris what happened at Heart Castle, he had told the Amusement Park owner.

Why would they send her to an asylum? And then make her lie to her older sister about it?

No, those were not the actions of a loving family. That was not what she had described when she spoke of them.

His musings were interrupted by Pierce. Once Alice had locked herself away in the mountains, he had returned to the Amusement Park. Gowland had been overjoyed when the mouse had blatantly stated that he was a much better boss than Blood.

"Damn right I am!" He'd crowed, "That ****-****** has got nothin' on me!"

But he digressed.

"What is it mouse?" He questioned, a little irritated. He was in the middle of doing repairs on one of his best-selling roller-coasters. If it took much longer, he would lose a lot of money. It wasn't exactly something that he could be putting off.

"I actually wanted to ask if, when you got some spare time, you would spar with me?" Gowland looked shocked,

"Since when are you a fighter? I thought you were more prone to running away in a conflict." The boy turned a little pink, and broke eye contact.

"Yeah, well," he mumbled, "When you work for a dragon you can't really be a coward." He finished sheepishly.

This development made the Duke more than happy. For years, the Dormouse had been a freeloader. Not too dissimilar to Boris, but at least the cat had the good graces to fight for him. The mouse? Not so much. So if Pierce had found it in himself to be brave...The Park Owner would not discourage it.

"Sure, I'll help you out, just give me a few more minutes." And the mouse nodded, relieved, and waited outside the door of the office.

**/*\**

**YAAAAYYYY VIVALDI'S BACK! I don't know why I don't write Vivaldi more, it's really quite fun. But then we are both older sisters, so it's a lot easier to envision her relationship with Blood, I think.**

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	7. Chapter 7

**Hey there, how's it- a;osdnaoerbgvs;ldfnclvnserofnaeorck;hfeefffhhhh**

**Gahh, I've got nothing. I'm going to attempt another chapter, but after this I've no clue how to fill in the middle of the story. I know what scenes I want, and I know how it's gonna end, but WHAT THE FLIP AM I GONNA PUT IN THE MIDDLE DX Maybe this will help. Please leave a review! :D**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Alice had elected to allow the servant girl to take residence within the Tower. She knew her mind would continue to suffer, but for now...the Role just might be silent a little more often. It had only been another day since the other girl had arrived, and the dragon had noticed a significant difference in her mental state.

The girl - Lacie - understood the consequences of remaining. Being so close to the storm, it was all too possible that her sanity might suffer as well. She could go mad, and one day even change into one of the creatures now inhabiting the country. If she stayed, she would not be allowed to leave, ever.

Not one word of Alice's lecture had dissuaded her.

Lacie had insisted that she would undertake similar duties to those she held at the mansion. She would cook and clean and prepare the Dragon's tea and coffee as she liked. She would do laundry, and she would keep Alice company until she either turned or died. All this, in exchange for escape from the Hatter.

_Blood, _Alice thought to herself, watching her new companion as she dashed to the kitchen to fetch another pot of tea, _What did you do?_

The Dragon listened as the pot was moved around and water was poured. Just seconds afterwards, she hear the tiny wince that always seemed to follow afterwards. Muffled, suppressed, and never uttered in the Jabberwocky's presence. One thing was abundantly clear.

Lacie thought Alice didn't know she was injured.

/*\

_You know_, the Role said, _You could have done that a lot better._

_Well, _the host bit back from his perilous position a good thirty feet up in the air, _If you had just been willing to share that bit of information a little earlier, we might not be in this mess, now would we?_

_Ah, ah, ah,_ the other voiced "tsk"ed. _That's not how this particular Game works. But you knew that already, didn't you Julius?_

_Screw you._

And then gunshots - perhaps from a pistol? - rang through the air in the manner of church bells on Sunday morning. Startling, annoying, and obscenely loud.

/*\

Once the Cheshire Cat had obtained the gargoyle's attention, it promptly released it's hold on the Clockmaker's arm. As he and the Prime Minister fell to the ground, the gargoyle landed in the grass not two yards from Boris, towering a good three feet above him, standing straight, it's wings extended, and it's tail flicking.

The newcomer was not feeling very self-confident.

"Um, hello." The cat greeted, a little hesitantly. Yeah, the Role had told him he could speak with the gargoyles...but how? He thought it would be a little trickier than just "hello" but...it had stopped. It was looking at him almost expectantly and slightly nodded it's head at him, as if to say "Go on already.".

"Hi," The cat repeated, a little nervous. That thing's claws looked sharp, and just how many teeth were in that stone mouth? "I would like to speak with your boss. Please." He stated, swallowing. The statue merely tilted it's head quizzically.

_What about?_

Boris - like all the other Ones with Duties - had gotten used to having a voice in his head. He had learned to become accustomed to the voice, and it's responsibilities and the occasional bickering that made him feel truly crazy, but he had never felt afraid of it or resented it. Now, for the first time, it perturbed him to hear a voice not his own on this telepathic level. The Cheshire Cat's voice was warm, lilting and slightly sarcastic. Most of the time it was helpful, and his speech was always laced with good humor, even if his words were a mite insulting on occasion. It was a fun-loving and mostly kind entity. This voice...it was soft and whispery. It spoke politely, but there was a coldness behind it's inflections that left the Cheshire Cat more than a little uneasy. This was not a living creature. It was not capable of humor or happiness or independent thought, and if he did not tread lightly...

It would have no qualms about taking his life.

Normally, Boris might not care about this so much, if it wasn't for the fact that brutal death by gargoyle would be the one offense that Alice would _never_ forgive.

"She and I are friends," he stated, and straightened a bit. Not afraid, not afraid, not afraid... "I just wanted to visit her." And though his animal instincts told him to run with his tail between his legs, he stood tall, and looked the gargoyle in the eye. It's head straightened, a bit disbelieving.

_Alright,_ It responded slowly, _I__ will take you to her._ And the creature snatched the cat up in it's claws and soared over the wall.

/*\

Vivaldi wasn't entirely sure what to make of the things she had just been told, however, her immediate reaction was an emotion she had no trouble recognizing.

Fiery, unbridled rage.

The Queen hauled her brother out of the seat and she slapped him so hard the nerves in her own hand stung painfully. She shook out the pins and needles as she spoke.

"What was the agreement We made with you? The one condition you had to meet in order to get Us to continue visiting you as Our brother?" She hissed, rubbing the stinging out of her flesh. Blood appeared to be almost stunned, and then he glanced to the ground.

"You would still be my sister as long as..." he trailed off, "As long as I didn't forget who I was before the Role."

"You were never a person to exploit people in this manner. Especially not your own servants. As awful a man as my brother has become, he made a point to cling to certain morals. What changed?" Vivaldi questioned, slipping back into her regal form, standing straight with her arms crossed. Blood took his hand away from the forming bruise, and glared at his sister.

"Is that a question you really need to ask?"

/*\

As Edith raced through the woods, she took into zero account the possibility of a misstep, and that mistake had cost her greatly. She had been doing fine, jumping over logs and dodging trees with all the grace of one of the deer that sometimes invaded the gardens over spring. As she leaped over a small bush, she swung her arms, and so ended up smashing her lamp into one of the enormous plants.

As she used her jacket to put out the fire, she realized just how dark it was outside. The lamp had been her only source of light, and now she was stranded in the stygian night with absolutely no idea where she was. She shivered a little, with her jacket having been rendered useless by the fire.

_It'll be fine,_ she reassured herself, _I just have to wait until it turns day again, and I'll be able to see again. This place is so small, it won't be long until I stumble on a building._

And then she heard something. It was skittering around in the brush, and though she told herself it was probably just a small animal...there was an awful lot of rustling. The noise was sounding bigger by the minute. Something was out there, and as it dawned on her, Edith was feeling quite terrified. Whatever it was, it was getting closer, and closer, and closer...

"AHH!" the little girl screamed. Something had lunged out of the brush, and at that moment, all she could process was the fact that she could see stains of reddish-brown covering it from head to toe. She turned to run, but then realized,

_Wait a second,_ she mused, _Why would an animal have a light?_ She looked back, and saw that "it" was actually a person. A person she recognized. She had mistaken the dark red of his coat for blood. But hadn't there been something on his face?

"Aren't you the man from the castle? The one who visits the Watchmaker?" She inquired.

The last thing Ace had expected on this particular venture was to run into Alice's younger sister. At first he was a little puzzled as to why she had been so frightened, and then remembered,

_Oh yeah,_ he thought, _The disguise scares the Foreigners._ So he was quick to stuff the cloak and mask into one of the pockets of his jacket, and grinned at the stunned little girl, who had turned to see him in his normal attire once more.

"I am," he answered, "I'm not sure we've been formally introduced, my name's Ace." And he knelt down to eye-level with her and shook her hand. "So what's a young lady like you doing wandering around the woods in the middle of the night? It's dangerous." He reprimanded gently, smiling softly. Her eyebrows scrunched together, and she huffed in a manner that only a child could successfully pull off.

"I'm going to the North." She stated, as though daring him to question her, "I need to see my sister." The man grinned,

"Well what do you know, you and I are headed to the same place."

/*\

It hadn't taken long for Ace to "convince" the little girl that she should probably stick with him. He hadn't been lying when he said the woods equated to danger. He assured her that he was closely acquainted with her sister - and he had met Lorina - and that he would see her to the Tower safely. However, she was not a stupid young lady. She knew much better than to go off with some strange man, even if it seemed to be her only choice. She chose to test the truth behind his words and quizzed him.

"What's Alice's favorite color?" She questioned once he was finished speaking, taking her company completely off guard. This genuinely puzzled Ace.

"What?"

"What's Alice's favorite color?" She repeated with more vigor, "If you are truly close with her, then you should be able to answer the question." He sighed,

"It's blue."

"Her favorite sweet?" She inquired, not missing a beat.

"Rum cake."

"Least favorite person."

"The Mad Hatter."

Ace - shockingly enough - had the patience to endure this for almost ten minutes straight (the Role had insisted) until he finally got bored, and simply picked the girl up, throwing her over his shoulder.

"What do you think you're doing?!" She shrieked, slamming her small fists into his back. It was almost cute, the ferocity she demonstrated with absolutely no effect.

"I can't leave you out here for the wolves." he explained, "Alice will kill me." And so, holding onto the girl with one arm and a lantern with another, the wayward Knave searched for a suitable place to set up camp.

**/*\**

**...So what sorts of shenanigans will Ace and Edith get up to whilst lost in the forest? R&amp;R please! :DDDDDDDDDD**

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	8. Chapter 8

**Alright...so I know I haven't updated in a while...but finals. Finals are killing me. Leave some sympathy reviews xD**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Thunder boomed as Lacie cried out in pain. The Dragon had finally decided it was time to take action. Lacie had gone to change the bedsheets when Alice heard yet another repressed squeak. At this point she was starting to feel worried. Upon investigating, she found the servant hunched over, looking as though she were holding onto her right hip. It was at that point that Alice had decided enough was enough. The Jabberwocky marched over to the girl and grabbed her wrist, forcing her to straighten and turn, making her shriek at the sudden, and apparently very painful, movement.

Lacie was clearly trying to stave down tears, and she was biting her lip, doing the best she could to keep control of herself. She was not going to let her new boss see her cry so soon, and for a moment Alice felt almost guilty, until she saw it. The shoulder of Lacie's dress had slid down a tad, and right at her collarbone, the Foreigner saw a vicious bite - clearly human - all blue and black and even bleeding slightly. She might not be a devout Christian, but Dear God in Heaven.

"What the Hell did he do to you?" Alice demanded, half in appallment and half in unconstrained fury.

/*\

Henry and Charles were taking turns on the cot and laying down on the floor, as there was only one _"_bed" in the cell. At least only one _usable_ bed. The twins hadn't wanted to ask questions. They wanted to punish them for their treatment of Alice. Henry hadn't wanted to send her to Bedlam. He hadn't wanted her to go to an asylum at all! It wasn't something he'd wish on his enemies, nonetheless his _child_! However, once Charles had threatened him with...well, he had proven himself to not be as kind as he might have portrayed himself. He had far too many faults and he was far too capable of unwarranted cruelty, though thankfully, it was a side he showed only to Henry.

It was through this treacherous blackmail that Henry had bent to the request that Alice be sent to the hospital, awful though it was, it had been the lesser of the two evils. Alice would survive one week. Though she was odd, she was by far the strongest of the three daughters. If Henry let Charles win, she might have spent her entire life in that hellhole. If that in itself would not have been terrible enough, it would have caused the entire rest of the Liddell family to lose _everything_.

No one had the strength to survive _that_.

"You know," Henry had stated, once the pain had started to dull. Those damned men/children had at least had the decency to give them some bandages. "They are awfully loyal to her, all of them, these strange, violent men. Perhaps she's not so bad off after all." Charles spat blood down the drain in the center of the cell.

"And if they decide she is their enemy?" He snarled, fighting solely for the sake of fighting, wincing as he straightened, and limped over to the cot. Henry shrugged, not moving to take another position on the cold, stone floor.

"She's not human anymore, and if she can shape-shift in the manner of that absurd white rabbit, then it's a reasonable assumption that she's not exactly helpless." Lorina's man snorted.

"Whatever."

"What are you so bitter for anyways?" Henry asked, "It's not as though you care for her. She is the little sister of your wife. _You're the one who said we should leave her here._" These words were not spoken absently or accusingly. Henry was warning him, and Charles knew that.

Perhaps he should never have set his sights on the Liddell women.

/*\

Pierce barely managed to dodge as the sharp, booming sound of a gunshot rang through the air, causing panic and confusion among the faceless who didn't know what was going on. He was racing across the rooftops of the living quarters in the Amusement Park, and he was mentally hurling every swear word he knew at his current boss.

Gowland had demanded that Pierce make his way to the very top of the main building while he remained on the ground. The mouse was slightly confused, but obeyed. If anyone knew how to help him, it would be Gowland. Upon reaching his destination, he watched, squinting through the sun, as the park owner turned his violin into his unholy shotgun/hunting rifle hybrid, and was methodically shooting at the mouse as he darted across each and every roof he could reach. Pierce had been doing this for almost an hour. He was tired, and sweating, and had lost his favorite hat. There were a couple of bullet holes in his jacket, and he had gotten all-too-close to getting an over-large tail piercing.

He was not happy, and for once, he had no fear over voicing his displeasure.

"I'm going to kill you!" The mouse snarled as he ducked behind the maroon shingles of some poor unfortunate souls apartment, listening as they exploded into dust and pieces and the insane park owner reload the weapon.

"Now there's a change!" Gowland whooped, "Normally you'd be running for the hills!"

Pierce huffed, blowing a lock of hair out of his face and took a deep breath. He had made the inadvisable mistake of forgetting just how mentally unstable the park owner was. He tried to kill people over making fun of his name. He could go from bloodthirsty to completely hospitable in the presence of customers. He had a strange penchant for forgetting almost any and all violent acts he might perform against others. The guy was nuts. Not as nuts as the Hatter though. The mouse made a mental note to visit the March Hare later. One more gunshot broke him out of his thoughts.

The Dormouse had one trick up his sleeve, something no one would have expected of him. He took an object out of his bag, something he never thought he'd ever have, and made it shift. He took a deep breath, and made a decision. Next time he wanted training, he would go to the lizard, but for the moment...

Needless to say, Gowland had definitely _not_ expected to be dodging buckshot.

/*\

The Warden was getting frustrated. There was no way she would know of the medicine, the Jabberwocky certainly wouldn't tell her, and the Jester seemed disinclined to give her hints. Why?

He'd never been shy about such things before.

Then there was the servant girl. The Dragon had allowed another human into her home, when she very well knew what would happen to her. This in itself was proof that the Role was getting to her. She had become willing to sacrifice the people she so held dear for the sake of her sanity. She was turning into a monster that, soon, none of them would recognize, and though he would never admit it, this worried him. He didn't care about Alice, pfft, who would? The thing was...he was a little bit scared of the Jabberwocky.

She was the only person whose power could rival his, and he did not like the feeling that, should she make one such decision, she could legitimately threaten him. He was used to being the alpha in his interactions with the other Role-Holders, and he did not like the idea of having that authority stripped from him. He paced about the cells, releasing his stress on the his fellow prisoners, for was he not a prisoner himself?

Yes, the medicine would work. It would make the Role sleepy, and she would be trapped in the dream realm, unable to control Alice. However, ultimately, there was only one way that Joker would be able to control the Jabberwocky in the manner that he could manipulate the other Role-Holders, and he wanted that more than anything.

He glanced over at the special cell. It wasn't a cell in the manner of the tiny rooms in the walls, but would do the trick. If need be, it would be able to contain the strongest of creatures. Lions, bears, griffins...dragons. There was a small, small chance that the medicine might not be as potent as it should be - it was an old crate of the stuff, to be sure - and in the event that should happen, he would have to imprison Alice. True, he liked her a little more than most other people, but the thought didn't particularly perturb him.

It was, after all, his job.

/*\

Edith still didn't trust the man who called himself Ace. No, he had not harmed her, or starved her, or made her uncomfortable in any way, but still...

Her immediate situation wasn't exactly normal.

She was sitting on a not-too-rotten log with a man she did not know. He seemed nice enough, but so had the Hatter, before she discovered that he was responsible for what had happened to Alice.

When he had gotten himself and the girl lost within the forest, he had pulled a tent out of nowhere, and then started a fire from nothing. The next time she looked away to glance fearfully at the darkened woods, she turned to see something cooking over the fire on a stick. As worried as Edith felt, she was also intrigued, full of what some might call "childish" wonder. Was he magic? Upon asking, he had laughed at her.

"Magic? Flattering, but no. I'm just a knave with a bad sense of direction." She tilted her head at him as he offered her some of the food that had somehow managed to fully cook in less than five minutes. She was about to take a bite - it smelled amazing and she'd had nothing to eat for _hours_ \- when it occurred to her what the man had just said.

What did he mean, "bad sense of direction"?!

"If you have a bad sense of direction, then how do you know which way is north?"

"I don't." He responded cheerfully, before offering her a small cup of tea.

Great.

/*\

Julius watched in irritation as the gargoyle carted the cat off. Seriously? The Role had explained this part of the Rules for this particular Game, but it liked to share information at rather inconvenient times.

Like when he was hanging from the claw of a magical stone statue, for instance.

"So," the white rabbit piped up behind him, shifting his timepiece into a pistol and crossing his arms, "Any other bright ideas?" The Clockmaker pointed his sword - a slightly lighter version of a claymore it looked like - at him in a clearly warning fashion. Quite basically, _don't piss me off right now_.

"You think you're clever, but do you know what's going to happen to him?" And then he pointed up to the top of the wall. Peter's ears perked and he was about to speak when the time randomly changed to night. It immediately descended into pitch black, the moon and stars the only visible points, and for a moment neither man could speak, as they were both somewhat startled. Peter more so than Julius.

"Before we get to that," The rabbit said, "Why is the time still changing? It's April Season, that shouldn't be happening." Seriously? It had taken him _this long_ to notice that something was amiss? Julius bit his tongue, but had to momentarily wonder at the intelligence of his new accomplice.

"Rabbit!" The Clockmaker snapped, still trying to let his vision adjust. It was returning slowly, but he could faintly make out the silhouettes of the trees at this point. "It's going to take him straight into the storm!" One of the rabbit's ears lowered, and he tilted his head in what appeared to be confusion. He waved his gun at the wall, and the Clockmaker had to repress the urge to dodge. That rabbit was far too trigger-happy for his tastes, so he couldn't help but feel a bit tense.

"So? He's not important." The man dismissed the Cheshire Cat immediately.

"To Alice he is." The Clockmaker retorted. To this Peter sighed.

"Then I suppose we must find a way over the wall and then save the feline idiot correct?" Julius nodded,

"So it would seem."

**/*\**

**Woo-hoo! New chapter! I did it...finally...now back to finals, as the week has started up again. v.v Please R&amp;R! Assuming you have not been plagued with the evil that is finals as well! :D**

**-Static**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, hello, hello! Finals are almost over, so I figured, why not celebrate with a new chapter? R&amp;R! :D**

**-Static**

**/*\**

The dream realm was in a complete uproar.

"How could this have happened?!"

"Who did this?"

"Why was she able to conjure the storm?!"

"She's kinda hot."

"Why was she reintroduced to the Game?"

The Roles were fighting. They had managed to temporarily leave the physical bodies they resided inside of and held a meeting. The new Dragon, Alice, had ended up...different, from the others who had taken the Role. She had managed to repress it long enough to keep herself sane for the beginning of the new Game, but now...

She was losing her mind. If her descent into insanity continued, they would lose _everything_. The Roles - the closest that Wonderland had to actual deities - had no idea what to do. They had only ever been put into this position once before, and they had launched the Dragon into oblivion with the other dropped Roles.

And yet, the Universe had elected to bring her back. The banishment had been entirely worthless, for absolutely nothing. The Roles continued to squabble until one, the only one who was not panicking, had finally had enough. Before any more shrieking, or insults, or gunfire was released into their alternate plain once more, he intervened.

"SILENCE!" He slammed his staff into the ground, causing the floor to reverberate, forcing his companions to lose their balance and refocus their attention. Once the other Roles turned their irate gazes to him, he continued. "The Jabberwocky herself is crazy, we know this, but the host has to be driven to the same place of insanity before she can launch her agenda. Alice is fighting valiantly. There is still time enough to get her the medicine." Then another Role stepped forward and spoke out.

"But that's not how this game works." The March Hare took on the appearance of a woman. Dressed more masculine than feminine, she had long gold hair, striking amber eyes, a pale complexion, and a glare that could make any of her opponents shrink away in terror, and yet the Role she addressed now did not even flinch.

"It's true," the Role conceded, "There are Rules about the medicine, however where we cannot even tell our hosts of it's existence, there is one person who can actively tell her about it." Silence descended over the gathering, until someone else stepped forward. A petite woman, with her waist-long silver curls bouncing with each click of her boots, and her ice-colored eyes staring up at the self-appointed leader of the congregation. Her red Knight's coat belled out around her legs.

"He'll never do it." The Dame of Hearts said. "He hates her more than anyone else."

"But it's not the Dragon herself that he hates." The Mad Hatter pitched in. He tapped his cane nervously against the ground, and impatiently pushed his bronze hair out of his blatantly furious eyes. "He hates her power."

"_Fears_ her power." The Hare corrected. "He's gotten so used to being the most powerful Role in Wonderland, that he is reluctant to play by this Rule. He'll take any loophole he can find." A set of twin girls giggled in the background.

"Who'd have ever thought he'd be such a coward?" They spoke in unison, and to this another Role spoke.

"He is the only one of us aside from the Jabberwocky who has made himself essentially immortal." The Duchess stated. "Like her, he refuses to reincarnate. However unlike her, he has found a way to ensure he does not fall to the insanity."

"What does any of that have to do with the Dragon?" The Hatter questioned, and they had started to fall into an argument once more when,

"You know..." The Dame trailed off, "We _are_ capable of forcing her to reincarnate."

The image of the Nightmare, the Role that owned and ran the dream realm, glared down at her with a set of narrowed violet eyes.

"You know the consequences of one such decision."

"But that's what it may come down to." She insisted and turned to the rest of her peers, "Either we allow all of Wonderland - a pocket dimension that we have maintained for _millennia_ \- to fall for the sake of one little girl, or, we can make the sacrifice and save everyone." That was when yet another Role joined the conversation.

"I won't let you." It stated, "The Rule concerning one such proposal is that the vote must be unanimous. You will never have mine."

/*\

The Warden and the Harlequin knew.

The Roles were conversing - panicking more like. And they - rather _he_ \- hadn't been invited to the party. He might have considered feeling hurt if it wasn't for the fact that he was too busy being amused.

"But then, it's because they're talking about us." The Warden commented from his place at the gaming table. For once, he had managed to convince the Harlequin to play in the prison, rather than the obnoxious circus tent. True, the Warden liked the circus well enough - he helped a great deal with stunts and practicality of the acts - but now he did not have to push aside his own comfort for the flamboyant tastes of his counterpart.

"They want us to tell her of our...possession." And the Jester's one-eyed gaze momentarily flickered to the crate, half covered with a tarp, sitting in an empty cell as he absently set down a card. The Warden smirked, and placed his own card, earning a small swear from his companion.

"It might not have to be a disadvantage. We can still uphold the rules _and_ get our way." The Harlequin merely studied the card pile, and then sat his elbows on the table and raised an eyebrow at his "twin".

"Please, do tell."

The Warden, grinning a grin that made even his other half uneasy, flicked his wrist, and several cards - lighting fast - sped out of his sleeve into his hand. A spare Queen, a King, an Ace, and possibly the most important, a Jack.

The Harlequin grinned.

True, it was dishonest, but still...there wasn't a Rule that prohibited playing dirty.

/*\

Edith had no idea what to do other than try to repress her sobs and keep it together. Initially, the camping trip with this strange man had been going well enough. He had given her food and drink as well as a safe(ish) place to sleep. He had a lamp, some tinder, plenty of water, fluffy blankets...basically everything one might need in order to comfortably survive in the wilderness.

That was until the time period changed to morning.

Edith had been sound asleep when she had been roused by rustling in the bushes. The whispering of leaves and the cracking of twigs had startled her awake, but still half-unconscious and comfortably warm within the thin walls of the tent, she convinced herself that it was a small animal.

After all, it was light out. Dangerous animals didn't come out during the day.

At least, that's what she had thought. It had been but moments later when the rustling sounded again. And again. And again.

Eventually Edith started counting, as her mind - hazy though it was - had detected a pattern within the noise.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

_Rustle._

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

_Swish._

One, two, three, four, five, six, secen, eight, nine, ten.

_Click_.

It was at this out-of-place sound that the ten-year-old's heart stopped as her eyes widened in horror.

No matter how dangerous the typical beast might be, she was certain that even the most terrifying of them did not wield guns. Counter-intuitive though it was, she did her best to bury herself under the blankets. She silently prayed that this was just a silly dream, and then something occurred to her. Ace was not in his sleeping bag in front of her.

_Where did he go?!_

/*\

Unbeknownst to her hated rivals, the Jabberwocky was spying on their meeting, and with each word spoken, simultaneous dread and rage sparked in her heart.

They wanted her to reincarnate.

They wanted her to give up her power.

They wanted her to entirely erase everything she was and had been, and that was the worst part. The Jabberwocky had kept her shape since the start of Wonderland. She had been there when the Universe had pieced together these small, but magical pieces of land. She had watched as the Ultimate Power, one by one, placed more and more Roles into that little world. She had been responsible for taking care of them, and eventually, destroying them. She did not take the appearance of the predecessors of each host, nor did she allow their personalities and minds to affect her own, because she had existed before the Rules.

She was one of the only people who knew in full the history behind this world. She had been there at it's very beginning. She had been there when...

And they wanted to force her to forget it all.

She stepped away, and sped back to her host, her tail lashing.

She had been so, so close to getting what she wanted from Alice: complete and total compliance. The Jabberwocky was powerful enough in the dream realm but in order to do what she needed to, she had to have control over a physical body. Right now, however, that needed to wait.

One of the Roles had renounced the Dame's proposal. He pointed out that to force a Role as powerful as her to give up her form had to be a decision made by _all_ the Roles, not just the majority.

Even after all this time, after how much he had suffered for her...

He was still trying to protect her.

She could not let that go to waste.

/*\

When Alice had seen the purple, bleeding mark adorning the girl's flesh, complete and utter horror drowned her mind.

She had seen wounds like this before, in Bedlam. And it was primarily the physically weakened, female patients who had worn them.

Alice didn't want to think that Blood had actively done this to one of his servants. She had lived there for three months, she had seen how he treated them. He had not ever touched the women in an unwanted manner, he did not fling slurs at them as he did to her, and there was mutual respect between them, always.

So...why?!

Alice decided she would let her rage loose later. Right now, Lacie was still staring at her, a grimace on her face as the Dragon's claws nearly dug through her skin in the intense study of her collar bone. Alice took a deep breath, and released the servant girl.

"Come." She commanded, and led Lacie from the kitchen, through the den, and into the master bedroom. Alice immediately trekked to her closet, and found the softest nightgown she owned, gently handing it to the servant. "You are going to put this on," she ordered, "And then you are going to let me tend to your wounds."

"But My Lady-"

"No." The Dragon growled, "Do as I say. If you are uncomfortable changing in my presence, you can use either the closet or the bathroom." Lacie had opened her mouth to protest, but stumbled backward, trying to suppress a hiss.

No, this was not a battle she would win. She could see it in her new master's eyes. So she went to the bathroom, gratefully discarded her dress and corset, and slipped into the satiny silk of her new nightgown. It was admittedly kinder to her physical state than her normal clothes, looser and shorter in all the right places, and the sheer softness of the cloth was a more than welcome reprieve from her scratchy woolen skirt.

Maybe she had been in more pain than she realized.

**/*\**

**Fun fact: I loosely based the relationship between Role and Role-Holder on Egyptian mythology. Where the Greek gods really liked their demigod children, the Egyptian gods were all for sharing bodies with their favored magic-users. Please leave some reviews and let me know what you think!**

**-Static**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey.**

**-Static**

**/*\**

The Red Queen of Hearts was not a patient woman.

Admittedly, she knew that the Prime Minister would not be back soon at all, but at the same time...what was taking him so long? Surely it was not that time-consuming a task to evaluate a _wall_. However, if he were to run into trouble, that would be a very different story...it would severely push back her goal. She silently mulled over the consequences and her alternative plans as those around her demanded her focus.

Her face looked stern and attentive. She glared down at the floor beneath her throne, though she barely listened as a faceless guard called out the crimes of the girl on trial below. It hardly mattered what she'd done, or how much the Queen actually heard, the decree would always be the same.

"Off with her head."

If only she could do that to Alice's Role.

/*\

Edith shrieked as the gunfire reverberated through the wood, her voice muffled by the fabric of her pillow and sleeping bag.

"Edith?" A familiar voice questioned, sounding slightly concerned.

"Knight?" She responded, still frightened out of her wits. Tears streamed down her face and her ears were still ringing. She had never seen a gun without safety measures before. Her father had never held one, nor had Charles. The nearest interaction she'd ever had with one such object was observing them through shop windows, as no one she knew owned one. To hear such a dangerous weapon so close to her person...

How could she not be crying?

Ace opened up the tent and tried to get the girl to sit up, but as he started to recognize the rigid shaking as the suppression of harsh sobs, he soon realized his efforts would yield no favorable results.

The little girl was scared and crying, and being _him_, well...

Despite his happy and courteous facade, this wasn't really his area of expertise.

_You are hopeless._ A feminine voice drawled, and went silent.

_No help?_ He asked irritably. Couldn't the voice at least offer a bit of advice?

_Would you listen?_

_Fair point._

"Hey," He murmured, lightly nudging the girl's shoulder to get her attention. She momentarily fell still. "It was just me." He stated gently, "I was hunting for some food. Don't worry, nothing is going to get you out here."

"Why should I believe you?" She asked softly, barely audible, voice cracking. Ace chuckled,

"Because for the time being, you don't really have any other options." the statement was spoken with the utmost kindness and humor, but the girl still stiffened.

It was going to be a long trip North.

/*\

The circus performers nervously chattered among themselves, their anxiety tainting the air. Though the storm had been availed, and a certain amount of peace restored, they were not stupid. Every single worker had once upon a time been captives in Joker's prison. Those who were good and obeyed the Warden's wishes got to wear the title of performer, and so they knew better than most.

They knew more than they had a right to, and they knew they were not out of danger, not yet. Joker, being the only person capable of handling the situation, needed to do something, and he needed to do something soon.

The faceless, after much debating, looked to their new spokesman, and watched as he nodded and walked away. They had chosen a tall, middle-aged man to be their representative, and he approached the Ringleader in a fearless manner that inspired both dread and awe among his peers.

"Joker," He addressed brusquely,

"Yes?" The more cheerful of the two responded, completely oblivious to the serious and reproachful tone the man harbored,

"What do you intend to do about the Jabberwocky?" The Harlequin tilted his head, in a simultaneously challenging and innocent manner,

"...Sorry?" And the faceless man sighed,

"I apologize for bringing up the matter, but the others are worried. We know what she is capable of, and what she might do if she's not properly...dealt with."

Joker was a bit taken aback. Few had ever had the courage to stand up to him where important matters were concerned, so this was a rather new experience for him.

He didn't fancy the feeling.

He was seriously considering killing the disrespectful half-wit when the mask on his belt spoke.

"He has a point."

The Harlequin had never felt so betrayed in his too-long life.

/*\

The twins stared up at the wall pensively. What were they to do?

"Should we attempt to cross it?"

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Sis wouldn't be mad."

"It's not sis I'm worried about." Dum shot his glance to Dee.

"Then what _are_ you worried about?" He questioned, and then his brother pointed up at the turret on the right.

"Them."

Ah, yes, the gargoyles. After a little bit of thinking, Dee got an idea.

"We might be able to lure them into a game..." And the twins glanced at each other.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" The agreement was confirmed with a pair of manic smiles.

The poor gargoyles never knew what hit them. It took but two minutes for the two to outmaneuver them, getting one stuck in a tree and sending the other on a wild goose chase after a flare. By the time it realized the boy holding the sparking red stick was an illusion, the Bloody Twins had already dashed into the woods, sprinting away from the wall and towards the tower.

It momentarily debated it's course of action, and made it's decision. If they could trick the gargoyles, they would most definitely be able to survive the mountain's citizens. The statue wasted no time in it's pursuit.

/*\

_You know_, the voice lilted, _You could have just opened a door._

_I thought you said that wouldn't work!_

_I said it _probably_ wouldn't work. You could have still made the attempt._

_What would my chances have been? Opening the door into the tower as opposed to the storm?_

_I'd say...about a hundred to one._

_That's why I didn't try._

Boris quickly dismissed the Cat and focused on his current predicament. He had felt victorious for but a moment, as it had only taken seconds for him to realize the true extent of his mistake. It was taking him towards the tower yes, however he was also getting nearer to the storm.

If he even touched the corrosive clouds he would gain some serious injuries, if he were to actually go through them, chances were he would not survive. He needed to find a way to get the statue to release him.

_Fast._

That was when he remembered the object in his pocket. Right, the gargoyle was only holding one wrist. He could get to it, but he needed to be sneaky.

He wouldn't be able to actually hurt his captor, but he just might be able to startle it.

/*\

After some arguing, the Harlequin gave in to the Warden's demands. Fine, he'd up the deadline.

"Alright, I'll do it sooner, but not right now."

"Why not?"

"Because she still hasn't given up hope. We can bend the rules but this would be too close to breaking them. I'll give it two more days, then I promise, I'll pay her a visit."

"You'd better." The Warden snarled, pacing. "You know that if she descends _too_ far in her insanity..." The other half was confused. Why was his counterpart so worried? The Harlequin leaned back on a rail, silencing a laughing prisoner before he spoke.

"Yes, that would be a bad thing and we'd have a real problem on our hands, but I highly doubt we'd be unable to handle it." The Warden still looked unconvinced, and then it clicked, "You don't mean to tell me, Joker...are you actually _afraid_ of her?" He asked reproachfully. The Warden snorted and rolled his one eye,

"Absolutely." He growled, "Even if you might not, I remember what happened last time. We're _still_ recovering from the damage the last one caused." And he shot a glance to a deceptively normal-looking cell.

He had a point.

"...Alright." The Jester surrendered, "I promise that within the next two days, I'll approach her with the deal." The Warden nodded,

"Good. You remember how to get into the tower right?"

The Harlequin almost felt insulted.

/*\

_I was hoping we could use the rabbit as bait, but the cat works too. Pity. I always liked him better._

_What are you on about? _The host answered,

"Clockmaker?" The white rabbit spoke, attempting to get his attention, but he was only waved off.

"The Role has something to say." He growled, and the prime minister fell silent. Conversing with the Role was often useful but...they had minds of their own. If the Clockmaker was currently battling with his, the rabbit would respect his space.

It could, after all, be in Alice's best interests.

_Approach the empty turret._ The Role commanded.

_Why?_

_Humor me._

Cautiously, Julius followed as the Role dictated. It was arguable that this might be nothing more than a waste of time, but...it wasn't like he had a better idea.

He walked towards the pillar that the empty turret sat upon, and stood but two feet from the front of the impenetrable marble as the Role had directed.

_Now what?_

_See that round brick? The decorative one with the winged serpent?_

_Yes._

_Press it._

"What are you doing?" the rabbit called. Julius ignored him and pushed the stone.

_I swear, if this is you just being an ass again..._ And he heard a faint click. Indeed, the circular rock had moved, falling back into a hidden crevice within the wall. The whirring of gears sounded, and the marble stones separated themselves. They moved away, brick after brick folding back on themselves, until a rectangular door opened. It was just tall and wide enough to allow the Clockmaker through to the other side. Feeling especially appreciative for the actual help, he hastily ducked in, and the rabbit moved to follow.

However, by the time Peter made it to this trick door, it had already closed, appearing as nothing but a pillar once more. The rabbit repeated Julius's actions, pushing in the circular stone, but there was no sound. No gears, no moving bricks, nothing. Why hadn't it worked a second time?

"Why...?" He spoke aloud,

_Because, _the Role answered, _That door is a privilege. Only one person can use it. _And with a sense of unbridled frustration, Peter suspected he knew exactly who the Role was talking about.

_The Clockmaker._

_Precisely._ It stated, _You, like the cat, will have to find another way in._

Peter huffed in annoyance, his ears flattening. Back to square one it is.

**/*\**

**I didn't give up on this story, as you can plainly see! I just needed a little break from it. I was having trouble piecing some plot elements together, so instead of presenting you with a crappy filler, I stepped away from it and thought over my ideas. Please leave a couple of reviews!**

**-Static**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hellooooooooooo. Please read, and please leave some reviews! :D I bet this is one of my better chapters. I finished editing at 3am. All of my best stuff comes from a sleep deprived state. Hehehe...**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Alice found wounds across the expanse of Lacie's entire body, discolorations of blue and purple and dried blood flaking off. Blood had not taken a shred of mercy on the girl, and the Dragon felt simultaneously outraged and horrified. It had cost enough of her innocence, to see Bedlam, and host an insane soul in her body. Yet to see what Blood had done to this girl...It made her want to throw up.

She felt as though she had lost a significantly large portion this time.

In some ways, this felt almost worse than when the doctor had made his bid to...hurt her. Alice could feel unwaveringly hateful towards him, but Blood...She knew him. She knew what he was, and yet as her fingertips ghosted over the surface of Lacie's bruised and bloodied skin she couldn't help but to feel surprised and shaken. Blood was not a kind man, she had known this since the moment she met him, but he had always put on a prize winning face for her. Aside from the one time he had attempted to strangle her in his office...

He had never touched her. He threw slurs her way certainly, but his actions had always contradicted those awful words. Though he had imposed on her personal space plenty of times, he had never laid a finger on her in an unwanted manner, nor had he done so to his servants. He had on multiple occasions helped her preserve her dignity and life. Though she had never had the bad judgement to trust him fully...

Something inside her had thought the Mafia Boss and Blood to be two separate people.

Perhaps she really had been too naive to see the true extent of his personal cruelty.

/*\

Julius came out at the other side of the wall feeling...slightly stunned.

Could it really be that easy?

He could hear Peter swearing, but more than that...he could hear the _silence_. Even if it was nighttime, there was always noise during the dark. It had always been one of things he liked about it, the perfectly rhythmic voices of the crickets, or the rustling of animals through the brush.

On the other side of the wall, none of that could be heard. As he gazed up into the inky sky, he could hear no crickets, no nocturnal predators, he couldn't even see a firefly. There was nothing but the deafening silence and black air, and the soft breeze occasionally rustling the foliage.

Already, the territory of the northern mountains was drastically different from that of Wonderland. It did not put on a pretty presentation nor was it hospitable. This place forbade entry to outsiders, ironically enough, and it did not take kindly to intrusions.

Funny, that once the reality of Wonderland was so blatantly exposed, a man like him would feel so uncomfortable with it.

Wasn't he the one who thought the illusions were inappropriate? That the true bleakness and coldness of their world should be put on public display?

The Clockmaker shook the thoughts from his head, and glared out at the chilling landscape. Right now, Alice needed him, and for the first time in his life, he found himself more than willing to stick his neck out for someone.

With careful vision, he trudged out into the night, getting closer and closer to the tower.

He was just hoping that he wasn't too late.

/*\

The Twins ran as quickly as they could, sprinting past the trees and through the brush. It had been easy enough to lead the first gargoyle into a misdirection. Getting it stuck in the tree had been nothing, certainly not one of the fearsome creatures they had heard about, but the second? It seemed to know better. It had managed to keep track of both siblings until Dee had a fairly decent brainwave and decided to send it after a flare.

The brothers had separated, running in exactly opposite directions, and so the statue had to choose one to pursue. Afterwards, all the chosen twin had to do was throw down one of their special flares, and it would create an illusion of the other sibling running.

Thank whatever was up there that the trick had worked long enough to hop the wall and get a head start. However, they found their luck to be finite. It hadn't been five minutes before they could hear an almost metallic screeching sound. The gargoyle had figured out their trick, and it had wasted no time in tracking them down.

Now, the damned creature was after them, managing to keep the two within it's eyesight with complete ease. Normally, the two brothers would not be particularly perturbed by this, if it wasn't for the fact that it was herding them towards the tower. There were trails within the forest, but unfortunately, they were the only pieces of land they could travel. There were miniature walls on the side of each path, but instead of marble they were of a more organic nature. Six foot tall thorn bushes caged the twins onto the path, severely eliminating any other options. The trails were all they had.

"Brother," Dee panted, shoving his longer hair out of his face, "If we continue on like this, we'll be confronted with the monsters."

"I know," Dum Growled, his scarlet gaze flicking in every direction for a possible escape route. "Give me a second."

And so they kept running, until something sounded overhead. It appeared to be a small explosion, and the gargoyle squawked in surprise. Not a moment later, something covered in pink and purple fur landed directly in front of them, suppressing a moan of pain.

"Hey Boris," Dee greeted, "What brings you out here?"

/*\

As Pierce approached Hatter Mansion, a familiar sense of dread flitted through him down to the bottom of his stomach. It didn't last long, but it was there, and highly unwelcome. He instinctively knew that the twins had made themselves absent, but at the same time...

Old fears died hard.

He stepped through the gates and approached the most direct entrance: a set of French doors. That was when he spotted a pair of servants guarding the doorway. That was certainly new. He took a deep breath, rehearsed a few words in his head, and approached. It was now or never.

"Hello," He addressed the two cordially, "Do you think that I might be able to get in?"

"Dormouse!" One exclaimed, though not in a necessarily enthusiastic manner. "I thought you quit the Mafia, what brings you here?"

"I need to speak with Elliot. It's important." The two glanced at each other, a whole conversation passing between them before the second man shrugged, almost apologetic.

"Sorry Pierce, but the Hare's having an important meeting with the Hatter. You'll have to make an appointment."

Seriously? He hadn't been gone _that_ long had he?

"And if I told you this issue took precedence?"

At this point, neither one of the faceless were entirely sure how to react. This was not the sniveling, cowardly creature they had once known. He did not speak of any "Ellie" nor did he shy away from their stares. Instead, he held his head higher up, and crossed his arms.

They didn't think they had ever seen the mouse behave as a proper Role-Holder before. He had never held himself with this kind of authority before, and now that he did, they had no idea what to do about it.

"Come on guys, let me in." The faceless stood taller. The mouse might be acting differently, but that didn't change their orders: no person belonging to a rival territory was to be let in. Not even the Role-Holders.

"We can't do that." The mouse sighed, and dropped his arms. So much for a confident attitude. He could have attempted to fight, but he doubted that would have done much good. He was getting better, but he couldn't take on more than one enemy at a time. Not yet.

He would need to find another way in.

His plan would not work without the Hare's cooperation.

/*\

When Lorina had discovered Edith was not in her room, she had proceeded to search the tower. After this procession gained fruitless results...she started to panic. She was seizing servants and maids alike, attempting to inform them of the situation. To her relief, a few seemed to understand her distress, but the others...they gave her the most absurd responses.

"Can't she defend herself?"

"Kids do stuff."

"I'm sorry, but I have duties I must attend to."

It was as if they did not realize that Edith Liddell could be in very real danger, as though she were an adult rather than the child she was. That, or they simply didn't care. After many such incidences of faceless workers refusing her the requested assistance, she finally snapped. It was an unlucky man who ended up falling to her wrath. She gripped the cloth of his jacket, and made him look her in the eye.

"WHY ARE YOU NOT GETTING THIS?!" She roared into his face, "MY BABY SISTER IS IN DANGER! SHE IS NOT LIKE ALICE, SHE CANNOT DEFEND HERSELF. WHY WON'T YOU PEOPLE HELP ME?!" She screamed, more than frustrated. The faceless, having been released on the last word, simply ran away, feeling more than a little terrified of Alice's older sister. Was insanity just something that ran in the family? She dropped to her knees in the hallway, and attempted to repress her sobs.

First, her young sister Alice vanished, right after her wedding, causing the family to search for her for almost a year. Then, just when they give up the search, a man who looked almost exactly like her husband randomly showed up at the door one day, and said that he knew where the wayward sibling was, and that in order to find her, they needed to jump down a suspiciously large "rabbit" hole.

After that, the entire family discovered an alternate reality, a universe parallel to their own, if infinitely more monstrous, where they did, indeed, find Alice. However, she had changed, and to the family's horror, was no longer human.

Her sister had become a _dragon_. A creature of myth and terror and looked down upon by Christianity as a demon. No, it was too awful to be true. This could not be Alice...and yet it was.

If that wasn't bad enough, when the land had been overrun by monsters, she had been separated from her father and husband, and had yet to reunite with them. It didn't help that she knew they were residing with a criminal syndicate.

She could certainly use their support right now, in the face of the most recent event: the disappearance of Edith.

Lorina simply could not take it anymore. She was trapped in an insane world of blood and knives and death. Now that Edith was gone, she was completely alone in a population of murderers. As she observed each faceless who looked down at her weeping form, with a mixture of fear and pity, she wondered how many of them had killed, and if any of them might feel inclined to kill her. Could that be why they were so apathetic about the young child's vanishing act? That was when a voice rang out.

"They will not harm you, I guarantee it, not while you're under my protection."

**/*\**

**One new chapter for yooouuuuuuuu! Please leave some reviews and let me know how it's going. It's plot-building time! (Also, before you say anything, there is no continuity error. There's just a drastic difference in certain perspectives. ;3 Later!)**

**-Static**


	12. Chapter 12

**WOOOOO MORE WRITING! Please, R&amp;R!**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Blood had never much cared for his Role. The duties were boring, and the facade's were more than tedious. He had despised the paperwork from day one, and many a time it would perturb him to think about how much he'd gotten used to his...darker obligations.

However, if anything topped these annoyances, it would have to be the voice.

It was rude and scathing, and the accent made it almost unintelligible at times. It would fling insults at him left and right, but he knew that it never actually meant any of those things. Nonetheless, it had always been an unwelcome visitor in his mind, and right now, he could not remember a time when he resented it more.

_Ya need to calm down._ It said, _Even if you _did_ do something wrong, it's not like you'll face consequences. You're the greatest criminal Wonderland has to offer. You shouldn't feel so bad. Man up, boy._

_Oh really?_ Blood drawled back, _My sister won't visit me now. The servant went to who-knows-where and if Alice catches wind of it...Do you honestly think I can take a dragon?_

_A dragon? No. Her? Yes. The Jabberwocky's drivin' her nuts. Her sanity won't last much longer. Not that hard to kill an insane person._

_...This is supposed to make me feel better?_ He asked incredulously.

_Certainly not supposed to make you feel worse. _It grumbled. Blood sighed. The older he got, the more the Role seemed to respect his feelings and decisions. However, he knew that it viewed him as weak in some ways. All because he wanted to stay himself. He quickly rolled off the bed onto his feet, wincing at the pain in his left leg. It hadn't been a bad wound - miraculously enough - but it still stung if he put too much pressure on it too fast. He hissed as he stepped forward, and looked out the window, the pain subsiding. He could faintly see his reflection in the window of the glass, and as he glared at the glowing green eyes before him, he couldn't push away the train of memories that would always flash through his mind. The memory of Vivi being taken away. The memory of the first time he looked in the mirror as a Role-Holder. The memory of his first torture victim, the memory of his first treason case. He was somehow forced to relive everything that had happened, to change him from an ordinary child to the monster he was now.

The faceless Blood, the original personality, could never, ever blame Alice for not wanting to be with him. Even as she was now, she was far too sweet and sunshiney and overall..._innocent_ to be with such a man as him. The Mad Hatter on the other hand, was irked that he had not gotten what he wanted. As much as Blood hated the person he'd become, he'd also come to accept it, there was nothing he could do about it after all. This was who he was, though definitely not by his own desire. He'd had no choice in the matter.

Alice couldn't penalize him for that.

/*\

"It's this way!" The man declared confidently. Anyone who didn't know him would have zero doubt of his conviction, and follow him without any sort of hesitation, certain that he knew where he was going. However, fortunately, his companion had learned quite quickly that this conviction could only mean one thing: They were not going the right way.

"No," she responded mulishly, "It's _this_ way." She tugged his sleeve to the left, and attempted to pull him in the correct direction.

"No it's not," he insisted, "It's _that_ way." And he continued to point west, towards the mansion, even though the building was partially visible and they both knew that the mountains resided in a very different spot. She was about to tell him so.

"But-!"

"There's a short cut!" he interrupted, "There's a road behind the mansion, we can use it to go south and BAM! We'll walk straight into Alice's territory."

"..." The girl was speechless. Was this man truly as daft as he presented himself to be? She gave him an odd look, and he tilted his head at her.

"What?"

"We're supposed to be going _north_."

/*\

Pierce knew his way around the mansion pretty well. Unfortunately, the servants knew it just as well, if not better. Each entrance he could think of was manned by guards, and he was at a slight loss for what to do. It wasn't like he could bust down a wall or break a window, that would cause too much commotion and it would probably get him on Blood's bad side...well, even more so.

That was when he saw it. Out of the corner of his eye, the mouse spotted movement, and looked over the rosebush he was hiding behind. A maid had just opened a window, presumably to air out the room. It was only the second floor, he would have no issue climbing in. There was only one problem.

It was right next to the entrance that the two servants were protecting. The mouse's ears flattened. If he could just find some way to get rid of them...

Pierce took inventory of his immediate supplies. He had his gun, certainly, but if he fired he would give away his position. He had a few snacks, hardly useful in this instance. He had a small knife, a bottle cap, and...a bottle.

A glass bottle.

An idea came to mind, but it was admittedly stupid. There was no way it could work and yet...

Nothing better came to mind.

The mouse evaluated his surroundings, and found just what he was looking for. The flowerpots in Hatter Mansion were exceedingly sturdy. Nothing short of a bullet could damage them, and as he estimated the distance between himself and the pot...he decided he just might be able to make this work.

Carefully, he poked his head over the hedge of roses, and made sure that the guards were not looking his way. In fact, they were conversing, leaning against the railing of the stairs, and just in general were not paying attention. Perfect.

The mouse sized up his target, and with a flash of his arm, launched the glass bottle into the flowerpot, forty feet away. _Crash! _The guards stopped talking.

"What the f*** was that?" One of them growled, and Pierce listened to their boots click on the pavement. As they entered his line of vision, he circled around the other end of the hedge, and with their backs turned to him, lightly ran up to the building. It would not do for him to be heard.

Unwilling to take the risk that the door was locked, the mouse instead veered off into the grass lawn on the right. He jumped onto the sill of the first floor window, and leaped up to grab the frame of the second story opening. Just as he moved to crawl in, his clock stopped in abject terror.

"Hey you!" One of the guards snarled, "What do you think you're doing?!" Pierce whirled his head around, expecting to see the two guards pointing rifles up at him. However, the guards weren't even looking in his direction.

They were yelling at another servant.

"Why did you throw the bottle?" The faceless guard asked, irate.

"What are you talking about?"

And so Pierce swiftly entered the window as an argument commenced outside.

/*\

It hadn't taken long for Gowland to realize that his second-in-command had vanished. Boris was not a punctual person, not by any stretch. He was a cat, he didn't care about such things, but it was still unusual for him to make himself absent during a time of such need. The park was still going under major reparations, and he loved it almost as much as Gowland did, so where had he gone?

It didn't take a genius to figure it out. Everyone in the park, from the owner himself to the smallest child, knew that Boris adored the Foreigner, in the manner that cats take to people. Though he'd never admit it and rarely let it show, he had missed her when she vanished.

Gowland still remembered the conversation they'd had the day she'd disappeared.

It had been a morning period, and the Park Owner had finally gotten enough free time to justify a good long nap, but then it had happened. The energy shock hit him like a sack of bricks, taking him completely off guard.

When people obtained new Roles, two events occurred. The first was that, after a Role-Holder died, the Roles of their peers would notify them. They would be aware of the passing of the unlucky bast***, and then a wave of energy would roll out through the land, letting them know that a new faceless had taken their place.

That notification had never come.

_Wait a second..._Gowland had thought to himself, _Could she...could she really have decided to stay? After all that fuss about going home?_

No, that definitely wasn't right. The energy...it had felt far too enraged for it to have been a willing choice. Something bad had happened, something very bad, and after the wave had passed, the voice in his head - so uncharacteristically tiny and afraid - had affirmed his fear.

_The rules have been broken. She's been trapped here._

And then the Cat showed up. He'd almost broken the door in his haste, and his claws dug themselves into the door frame as he spoke.

"Did you feel that?!" He questioned, "Alice, she's..."

"I know. The Role just said that the Rules were broken."

"So she didn't choose her Role?"

"No, she did not."

"...Poor Alice." And he left.

Those two words were all it took to receive Gowland's pity, not that Boris would ever know. Cats were fickle creatures, they did not bestow affection generously. The fact that Boris had expressed regret over the wave of anger and despair and betrayal...

He loved her very much, and it broke his heart to know that she was in so much pain. Someone had done something with Alice's vial, and it had completely eliminated any chance she had of going home.

"You know," The Park Owner had said, later on, after Blood's impromptu trial at the circus, "Maybe it was for the best. She wanted to go home for only one reason. That reason disappeared during her stay in Wonderland. She couldn't have been happy there." The cat looked up at him with disapproving eyes.

"But that wasn't _his_ decision to make, now was it?" He'd hissed, and stalked away, heading towards the woods.

As much as Gowland had pitied Alice, he felt a little more sorry for Boris. In a world that treated life as trash, the cat had found someone he valued, and he was completely powerless to prevent or halt the suffering she had endured. How must it feel, to invest your clock and soul into someone, and be entirely unable to help in their time of greatest need?

So though Gowland was definitely in need of immediate assistance, he did not begrudge the cat his mission.

**/*\**

**Poor Boris. Honestly, from what I've seen of the manga, I feel like Alice should have considered him more. His relationship with her was WAY healthier than the love/hate crap she had with Blood. Plus, Boris never tried to kill her. Please review! :D**

**-Static**


	13. Chapter 13

***Greeting* *Random witty comment because I just can't not write an author's note***

**But in all seriousness, be warned. Serious chapter ahead with a plot point that may ring as rather...disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.**

**-Static**

**/*\**

How could this have happened? Why had she come back? Lacie was speaking, so shouldn't she be, well, _gone_?! Shouldn't Alice be able to hear the faceless girl's words?!

_She's been here awhile. _The Role stated,_ I'm starting to get bored._

_Why are you here? _Alice immediately demanded, entirely despising the voice intruding on her mind. She could almost imagine the Jabberwocky shrugging.

_Because,_ she answered, _It's clear that you're not getting rid of her, and I'm getting quite tired of keeping quiet. You do not speak of important things, so it's not as though I'm interrupting._ As always, the Dragon's voice was bored, slightly amused, and so excruciatingly cruel, promising nothing but mental torture. No, Alice's last-ditch effort to hang onto her sanity had not worked. The Role started talking again, and once more, it was the same old thing.

_You need to be stronger, more unforgiving. Watch._

And just like that, Alice's surroundings changed.

/*\

As Boris and the Twins raced through the forest, only one thought rang through the cat's mind.

_How am I gonna get out of this one?_

Boris Airay was no fool. Danger was not an unfamiliar adversary, and the cat had always, _always_ been able to make a sound backup plan, in case something went wrong. Though that wasn't really a habit that set in until Alice arrived, he still retained his survival instincts. He'd always ensured that his "adventures" held a certain sense of familiarity. No matter the situation, he mads sure that he had the advantage of knowing what to expect. Games of Kill or Be Killed with the Queen's guard were always easily won. The Twins were a bit trickier, but he knew those two as well as they knew each other.

Never anything to be worried about.

This time, Boris had no advantage. Like Alice herself, his newest opponents were creatures he had only heard about in stories. The gargoyles were even rarer than a Foreigner. Throughout all of recorded history, about ten thousand years, twenty Outsiders had visited and left Wonderland. Alice was number twenty-one.

The gargoyles, on the other hand, were as old as Time itself. They had existed from the moment the Universe began, and even with this advanced age - they were there long before the Foreigner's Game had ever been invented - they appeared in the books approximately twice. Five times, if one counted the information that the Cheshire Cat fed the young Role-Holder.

"What should we do?!" Dum shouted, and Dee shook his head,

"I don't know! Give me a second!" He panted,

"I doubt they'll be tricked twice!"

That was when Boris tripped over something, and face-planted into the dirt. For a moment everything stopped. The Twins had halted, and the gargoyles began to circle overhead like hawks, thinking they had finally caught their prey. After a split second of silence,

"I would laugh if the situation wasn't so..." Dee trailed off, trying to think of a word.

"Reeking of impending doom?" Dum supplied.

"Yeah."

But as Boris reflexively looked back to see what he had tripped over, he saw it hadn't been a branch, or even a loose stone. It was...the very thing he needed.

The monsters screeched and descended, while the cat's Role began to spout a new set of instructions.

/*\

Julius was not impressed.

The forest was exceedingly quiet, and though it was undoubtedly one of the creepiest things he had experienced in his life, it was also quite...anti-climatic.

Alice's territory had become by far the most dangerous throughout all of Wonderland, even with the circus still in town. Though Joker was an unpleasant human being, he was harmless enough as long as the Rules remained unbroken. Alice? Not so much. Her land was cut off with an impenetrable wall, securely defended, that no one but the Clockmaker could get through. Further in, her city was infested with reptilian monstrosities. Not human, but not beasts either, all capable of tearing him to pieces. As if that wasn't bad enough, her fortress had yet another shield, the corrosive storm, the thing that would definitely kill him should he have the miracle of surviving that far.

Last but not least...Alice herself was unpredictable. At this point, she could be either friend or enemy. No one knew her motives, and that was the problem.

No one really knew what the Jabberwocky's purpose in the world was. Not anymore. Only she knew that, and she was stowed away in a tower, like a lost fairytale princess, waiting for someone to save her from the dragon.

How ironic, that they had ended up being one and the same.

/*\

The servant had not immediately noticed anything unusual. She had been too busy reveling in her own renewed well-being, but once she had finished the laundry, dusted the mantle, and made a small brunch out of whatever she could find in the kitchen, she realized what was wrong with the picture. Her mistress was missing.

Lacie had walked into the den, a tray of food in hand, when she realized that Alice was not there. Slightly puzzled, she set the tray down and searched the tower. Though the living quarters were not big, the tower itself was enormous, and Lacie knew that it could take some time. She looked into the office and peered down the stairs. She glanced into the office and investigated the spare rooms. Where could the mistress have gone?

Eventually, the servant was hit with a rather ridiculously obvious realization.

_Of course,_ she thought,_ Given the circumstances, why would she be anywhere but her bedroom?_

And so, Lacie traipsed back up to the uppermost floor of the building, and crossed through the hallway to the master bedroom, knocking on the door. When she received no answer, the girl figured that her new boss was probably sleeping. She was going to return to the den and eat when she heard something. Was that...a sob? She listened closer, pressing her face against the door.

"Ah!"

The muffled squeak was definitely Alice, and it sounded...it sounded like she was in pain. Lacie tried the doorknob to find it locked, and then knocked on the door with far more urgency.

"Lady Alice?" She called, only to be answered with,

"Go. Away." Her Lady's voice was strained, and more than furious.

Immediately Lacie backed away from the door. She wanted to investigate but...

She knew better than to disobey a dragon.

/*\

The Harlequin knew that Alice had always hated his ability to teleport, and he knew that now would be no exception. He took one of the small candies from the crate, and warped into Jabberwocky Tower.

More specifically, the master bedroom, and he was shocked, rather unpleasantly.

Joker hadn't been entirely sure what to expect, but it certainly hadn't been this.

The room, once stark white, was splotched with blood. The roof, the walls, the carpet...the bed. Red stains slowly turned brown - was that silver glitter in the puddles? - and the man had but a moment to wonder just what the hell had happened when his one-eyed gaze began to take notice of other details. The bed was unmade and torn apart, the feathers from the annihilated pillows scattered everywhere over the red stickiness. There were craters and cracks all over the walls, and the bathroom door had been reduced to a pile of splinters.

The place looked like a war zone, however the shaking figure on the bed proved otherwise. Sitting cross-legged on the mattress, was Alice. Her nightgown was stained, and her fingers, covered in blood. One of her wings was extended, and it...shivered. As the Jester slowly made his way around the room, to watch her from the front he realized that Alice had not been in a fight.

With a set of pliers gripped in her bloody claws, she was methodically ripping out the scales on her left wing, which - while not bleeding profusely - still looked quite alarming. Even more so, she didn't appear to be feeling any pain, until she winced a few moments later. She then proceeded to tear off the next scale with a vicious growl, and continued her task with renewed ferocity.

The Harlequin - a little horrified - approached, and grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"To see that she has reduced you to such a state makes even me sad." He stated, unsmiling. Under normal circumstances, she would have pulled away, and snarled an insult, to which "Black" would answer with a rude comment and it would devolve into a fight between her, and the mask.

Not this time. Instead she merely tilted her head at him, her eyes glazed over and unseeing, allowing him to keep hold of her arm.

"She won't stop talking. She shows me things. She-" She whispered,

"I know."

"At least this way, she changes the subject." The Harlequin knelt down to her eye level, and gently pried the tool from her hand. He held the reddened and sticky pliers up.

"Where did you get this?"

"Pierce left it here, in the office." Joker nodded. The Warden had been right, he should have come sooner. Alice watched silently as the man pulled something out of his pocket. Bright blue foil wrapped around a circular object, and he silently offered it to her. She merely gave him a quizzical expression.

"What's that meant to do?" She inquired politely, eyes deadened, voice entirely devoid of emotion.

"It's medicine," Those two words seemed to pique some interest. "I cannot speak to you in such a state. The Rules forbid it. This will make her stop talking, and allow your sanity to return for about a week. Take it, and we will have our conversation once the effects kick in." But she had only listened as far as "stop talking". Her fingers had snatched the foil from his hand, and she shredded the metal wrapping to pieces. She had popped the red tablet into her mouth with absolutely zero abandon, not even thinking to question it, in spite of past experiences.

She had become quite desperate indeed. Though Joker was not generally a compassionate person, it weighed on even his clock to see what had become of the Foreigner. He remembered what she used to be. Sweet, intelligent, fierce, naive...

To see her reduced to this raving insane mess was...depressing, and unsettling.

As she sucked on the hard candy, patiently waiting for it to work, the Harlequin quietly padded to the bathroom, and retrieved the first aid kit. He then proceeded to treat Alice's self-inflicted wounds.

**/*\**

**So. Alice is seriously starting to lose her mind. I hope that was G-Rated enough not to upset most of you guys. The point of that scene was not to be grotesque or obscene, but rather to demonstrate just how far gone Alice really is. The Jabberwocky's goal is drive her fully insane, and I wanted to show just how serious the situation really is, despite the lame filler in the last few chapters. But please! Leave some reviews and let me know what you think!**

**-Static**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, how's it going? Been a while. **

**Alright, so I did some reading up on the fandom...and I have to say, I'm really quite annoyed. HAD I KNOWN THE BACKSTORY FOR ACE AND JULIUS SOONER, I COULD HAVE DONE SO MANY INTERESTING THINGS WITH THIS STORY! I also didn't know that Blood was technically a good guy, as the only version of him I've seen was the one from the manga that everyone seems to hate. Ya know, the one where he's needlessly an asshole? **

**So it looks like I will have to rewrite this story when I've finished, as I sure as heck am not gonna do that in the middle.**

**P.S. I just spent the past couple months enduring the first half of my first college semester. That's why I haven't been updating. I'm not dead, I promise! R&amp;R?**

**-Static**

**/*\**

_WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? _The Role shrieked, again and again, but as the candy in Alice's mouth got smaller, the voice got quieter. Eventually, when it had dissipated, the voice was little more than a whisper, struggling to speak.

_You...you've killed me...you've destroyed everything..._ The voice sounded...almost heartbroken? She couldn't quite name the emotion, but it was sad and defeated and everything Alice had always fought against in Wonderland. It was everything she stood against but...after all she'd been put through, she didn't feel inclined to care. Under any other circumstance, she might have pitied it. Had it not been for the suffering she'd been forced to endure at the Role's will, she would have sympathized. The Jabberwocky had never shown her any mercy, so why should she grant this _thing_ any kind of mercy herself?

_You brought this on yourself._ Alice snarled, not the least bit compassionate as the candy turned to a sliver on her tongue.

_You know nothing._ It spat, furious but weak. _If I die, you die with me. You will be purposeless in this world. You'll be worth __**nothing**__. _Then it was silent. Alice's mind was, for the first time in weeks, crystal clear. Her thoughts were entirely her own, and she didn't have her Role screaming at her about the week in Bedlam. The Jabberwocky had been forced to retreat, and then Alice took notice of her surroundings.

What had happened to her room?!

Everything had been completely demolished. The walls were barely standing. The once unblemished hue of her bedroom had become stained with rust-colored splotches. The ever soft silk of her bedding was ripped to shreds, and she could dully hear the roar of the storm just outside her window. She moved to stand when she realized, she couldn't. The floor slipped out from underneath her feet, and the ceiling spun above her. Why was she so dizzy?

"Ah, ah, ah," A voice "tsk"ed, "Stay in the bed a little longer, you didn't lose a _lot _of blood per se, but it was just enough that you shouldn't be moving just yet." Alice's eye flickered to her guest, and glared up at the intruder. As he gently pushed her down into the pile of feathers, her tail curled protectively, placing itself between her and the man, and her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"What are you doing here?" She questioned. Alice had long since figured out Joker's purpose in Wonderland. He was the doubt and guilt in people's minds, and he enforced the Rules while simultaneously tricking people into breaking them. She hadn't thought she'd done anything wrong, but...

She didn't know. She would not allow herself to be put into one of those cages he calls a prison cell because her Role went berserk.

_"How rude,"_ The mask hissed, _"We try to help and she acts like we're nuisances."_ Alice only stared. The dragon evaluated her situation. There wasn't much to be done, and Joker clearly knew something she didn't.

"Fine," She stated, "Can you tell me what happened? I remember locking myself in my room, but why is there blood everywhere?" Her question was met with silence. That was odd. Usually, Joker was not hesitant to explain things in this regard, so the fact that he was quiet now...that worried her.

Her mind raced. She thought back to the last thing she remembered. She knew that she hadn't been exactly reasonable when the voice started screaming again. She vaguely recalled hearing Lacie bang on the door...

Alice let her gaze slip over to the flooring, the walls, and the annihilated window. She scrutinized the smashed bathroom door, and studied the fading winds whipping against her back. Had she...?

"Whose blood is that?"

/*\

_BA-DUMP_

There was nothing quite like the sound of a beating heart, or the beings that possessed them.

_BA-DUMP_

They were whole. Their hearts pumped blood, and that blood carried each and every thought, emotion, and memory within them. It was the center of everything.

_BA-DUMP_

Though the anatomy of a Wonderlandian was a little different, the clock performed the same basic function as the heart, but it was nothing like being a Foriegner.

_BA-DUMP_

A heart contained a soul, and that soul ensured the sole life of one person. It would take the person's shape after death, and it would wander the earth or ascend to a different plane of being. Even after death, the heart still performed a vital duty.

_TICK-TOCK_

The clocks were different.

_TICK-TOCK_

They ensured a type of existence, yes.

_TICK-TOCK_

But they were infinite. Though at a first glance, such a concept might be thought of as amazing, miraculous, something to be desired...

_TICK-TOCK_

It only made life a repetitive task. Foreigners were allowed to die, completely. They would lose their physical forms and become a part of something else, continuing their existence in whole and varied ways. Them?

_TICK-TOCK_

Not so much.

/*\

The tunnels were like a maze. Once Boris had pulled off the manhole cover, he and the Twins had ducked down inside, and slid the lock into place. After several tense moments of shrieking voices and the scream of claws on metal, they gave up. The gargoyles screeched in displeasure, and flew off - to find another entrance no doubt - and now the trio was left stranded, in the dark, with no idea what to do.

"I have a flashlight." Dum had pitched in, after some seconds of silence. A faint clicking sound rang through the darkness, and each of the three men blinked into the abrupt brightness. As the light swiveled in every direction, the trio could all feel their hear - erm, clocks - sink.

There were six different pathways, each leading a separate way, and they were standing directly at the vertex of the road.

"So..." Dee trailed off, leaning on his ax and looking expectantly at the cat, "Which way do we go?"

Boris's ears flattened.

/*\

It didn't take long for him to realize something was wrong. No, not wrong..._changed_.

He had simply been walking through the woods, his steps even and silent. The wind still blew and the leaves still rustled, and it was still very much nighttime. However, something felt...off.

It had been entirely random, the way his feet had just stopped. He felt goosebumps crawl over his flesh, and the hair on the back of his neck raised. His fists clenched, and his muscles tensed. Something didn't feel right. Was there danger? Was there something behind him?

Quickly, he took the longsword off his back and whirled, swinging the blade down on his assailant, only to realize...

Nothing was there.

The weapon rested in his confused hands. If nothing was there then...?

Oh.

No, there was no danger. Nothing was attacking him, and nothing was going to. The change in the environment was not hostile.

No, there was nothing, just the faint humming of the crickets.

/*\

Joker didn't even smile. He merely shook his head, and pointed out the decimated window, changing the subject immediately.

"Look Alice," he stated, "Your storm has disappeared." and it was true.

The clouds had vanished, and the sky was again littered with the pretty white specks of stars. The moon cast faint white light over the tower, and the monsters had returned to their previous states as people.

Completely forgetting her original inquiry, Alice observed the scenery before her, without even the faintest wisp of the unwelcome voice in her mind, she felt an odd sense of dread. No way, this was too good to be true. Everything was back to normal, her mind wasn't being imposed upon, and by the time the next time period arrived, her room would be entirely repaired, good as new.

And all because of a tiny piece of candy? A tiny piece of candy that _Joker_ had given to her?

Suddenly, a small snippet of memory came to mind,

_"I cannot speak to you in such a state...Take it, and we will have our conversation once the effects kick in."_

The dragon turned to the Harlequin, staring at him through her over-long bangs with guarded eyes. Her fangs flashed in the soft light as she asked the next question.

"So what was the conversation you wanted to have?"

The smile she got in response...it was the first time Alice had felt genuinely afraid since taking her Role.

**/*\**

**Yup, I came back just to give you guys another cliffhanger. BAHAHAHAHAHA not really. I'm hoping to be able to update more. So how was that for an unannounced visit? Good enough for a review perhaps? :D**

**-Static**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hoi. I'm Tem.**

**Not only have I been dealing with Uni, but I've also descended into the fandom hell that is Undertale. Sorry I haven't updated. No big cliffhangers this chapter! Some things will get resolved!**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Julius knew that it was pointless to continue trekking through the forest. Something had changed, something drastic. Being an "Official" he had the advantage of knowing almost exactly what was going on.

For a moment, he just stood there, thinking over his options. He could go to the Tower, but he was also far enough away that it might be too late. He could enter the tunnels, but those were something of an endless maze. It would take hours for him to make it back to the surface, so they were a no-go.

He stared long and hard at a tree, trying to figure out what he should do, and finally he turned tail and ran.

If his guess was right, and what he thought was happening was really occurring, then staying in the land of the Jabberwocky wasn't going to help him.

Right now, he needed to get to the prison. Fast.

/*\

Alice stood in the cage, seething. This wasn't supposed to happen. There was no way in hell that Joker had managed to win that game. Not honestly. She glared at the two men standing before her as they grinned. They were ecstatic. They'd won.

Never had Alice felt so murderous at any point in her life.

Now, she couldn't wait for the opportunity to strike them both down in a flurry of scales and blood and screams.

/*\

Joker watched as Alice paced angrily back and forth in her cage. It hadn't taken but a few minutes for her to grow antsy and ever more angry.

It was not in a dragon's nature to be contained.

When her sanity had returned somewhat back in the tower, Joker had made his move. He'd taken her hand, uncharacteristically gentle, and led her away. He assured her that everything in Wonderland was fine. Her family was safe and the Role-Holders were all alive and well. This was all it took to placate her.

She'd halted halfway out the door, her face carefully held in a neutral expression. At his confused glance she had requested a few moments to herself. She was still in her nightgown, and wanted an opportunity to change her clothes.

_May as well._ The mask said. _I don't want her murdering any more of my prisoners. She gets _angry_ when they leer._

"You should teach your subordinates to have better manners." Was the only remark she made before borderline slamming the door in the Harlequin's face. Though a little fazed, he didn't show it. He merely stepped back, leaned against the wall, and waited. It was perfectly fine for her to take her time.

He wasn't going anywhere.

/*\

Alice had debated the wisdom of her decision. She knew that Joker was planning something, and she was about ninety-five percent certain that this plan might put her at a disadvantage under even the best of circumstances.

_But he fixed me._ The dragon thought to herself. _He made that crazy bitch vanish. He made me sane again. Thanks to him my mind is now my own. If he were hoping to gain an advantage, wouldn't he have left me a raving insane mess?_

Alice was pacing around the room nervously. Even she had no idea how to profile Joker. She had never been able to really pin down his true motives, not even in her new position as the Jabberwocky. She turned to her closet and approached the demolished double doors.

She had really done a number on this place.

_And what's more_, her train of thought continued as she tore a dress off the hanger, _if it were really in his best interests to harm me, wouldn't he have killed me? He would have been more than able to. What is he-?_ And then she paused, her dress halfway over her body. She had learned to recognize the signs by now.

There was someone else listening in on her thoughts.

And after all she'd been through, she'd had quite enough of that.

/*\

There were various timelines in the strange and magnificent universe that was Wonderland. There were different dimensions with many different places that contained many different people.

Some of these people were quite special. These lucky few might have the privilege to show up across various lands. Nightmare was one of them, little more than a child in one dimension, and a full-fledged adult in another.

In the land of Dia, Nightmare was someplace in between. He was still quite young, but old enough to be more than a little jaded and cynical in his own right. He was old enough to realize how others perceived him, not only as a Role-Holder but as The Nightmare as well. He knew that no matter how much he hid is powers, the people would never stop fearing him. They knew what he was, and it was different from them. That said, he still wasn't quite beyond hope. He wanted the acceptance of others, but knew that in his own world that was a slim possibility. He wanted it more than he cared to admit, and he was young enough that he thought he could force it to happen.

One day, he had a thought. As much as he liked Gray, he knew the assassin was a little off his rocker. The Lizard wasn't as monstrous as he pretended to be, but he was also more than capable of committing quite the atrocities. Nightmare wanted normal, and Gray wasn't it.

If he couldn't find that in Dia, maybe one of the other lands might have it.

This hope made him reckless. His youth made him oblivious to the consequences.

As the adolescent got older his powers grew. He knew he could invade the dreams of others and watch the thoughts racing through their minds. He knew that he could expand this power to include those in the other timelines and countries of Wonderland.

How unfortunate it was for him, that the first person he ever managed to contact across the dimensions was a goddamn _dragon._

/*\

Joker could sense the change in the air. The mild tension erupted into an intense friction.

A type of friction that could burn nations to the ground. Something was wrong, and Alice was angry.

He stood straight and stepped to Alice's door.

"Alice?" He called, "Alice are you okay?"

He got no response. He stepped back once and mulled over his choices. Ultimately, he decided to do nothing. She wasn't exactly helpless, and she resented the assistance of others. Plus:

He was, after all, the villain in Alice's story.

/*\

Alice shoved her way into the dream world and brought the unwelcome visitor with her. The Jabberwocky was powerful. Though she had no authority in the dream realm - that was a privilege belonging strictly to Nightmare - she could still wield minor control over it.

The clouds of purple and green mist swirled about, and she hid in the fog, observing the man who had been watching her. He stood up and…was that really a man? She supposed it could be. Just because the men of Wonderland tended to be freakishly tall, it didn't mean that shorter men were completely nonexistent. As she watched more closely however, seeing him stand so nervously, so hunched over into himself, she wondered.

Then he turned.

It was Nightmare.

But it wasn't.

She knew Nightmare was older, and his hair certainly wasn't long enough to keep tied up in a ribbon. Nightmare definitely preferred darker and more toned down colors than the garish white and lavender of the boy's fashion choices, though the eye-patch definitely wasn't ornate enough. This boy still had a childish roundness to his face, and he held himself with a reckless sort of confidence that most definitely did not befit the somewhat shy observer she had come to know.

However, that did not mean she couldn't sense his terror.

"Who's there?!" The boy called. Alice did not answer. She was too busy wondering if she had genuinely gone mad.

The boy, though startled, had managed to pick up on the dragon's thoughts after a moment or two. She was…puzzled. _But why?_ He wondered. _Surely the Land of Hearts has another version of me as well._ Then as he listened further, he saw a mental image in her mind. Himself, but older. She was confused, comparing the memory to what she saw now.

How he hated his older self.

He repeated his question, but the woman still wouldn't answer. Though he refused to show it, the fact that she had power over his realm frightened him. He did not like the notion of being overpowered again.

_Fine,_ he thought, _time to show the lady who has real power here. She isn't me. She can't do anything._ He focused, and the image in her mind came from behind him, so he whirled and eviscerated the mist, forcing it to reveal the woman. He was braced for her wrath but…nothing. She wasn't there.

He listened to her mind once more, and he saw himself from the side. Again she wasn't there, but he'd caught a flash of silver out of the corner of his eye. It darted behind another cloud, and Nightmare was fed up.

He banished all the mist, and there she was standing directly in front of him. His one eye widened.

"Alice?!"

/*\

When Nightmare squeaked her name in the manner of a terrified child, Alice's suspicions were confirmed. It was Nightmare, but she didn't know him, and yet he knew her. She tilted her head at him.

"How do you know who I am?" She asked, "I met you as an adult. Why do you know me as a boy?" She stepped forward, and the demon stumbled back, scared and confused all at once. That made her stop.

That's right. She was a dragon. People were scared of her, especially the youth who did not know her.

She stepped back, wary and ashamed.

"Y-y-you can't be here." The dream demon fumbled over his words, "You're supposed to be back in Dia, working at the front desk of the train station."

"Hmm." Alice responded, thinking over his words. "Does that mean there's more than one version of me now too?" She asked, her eyes locking with his. "She works for you?"

Nightmare only nodded, not trusting his own voice.

"I see." She continued, "So she's still human?" Again, Nightmare nodded.

Somehow, in spite of everything that had happened to her, through all the insane and impossible things she had come to witness, she couldn't find it in herself to believe this. Not immediately.

"Have I truly gone insane?" She asked the boy.

"You aren't insane." He answered carefully, after a few moments of deliberation.

"So this is really happening? You're really Nightmare? And you know the human version of me?"

"I do." Alice nodded thoughtfully.

"Interesting."

Nightmare wasn't sure what to do. As soon as she'd spoken, she turned away and expanded her monstrous wings. Fire danced across the floor, and it approached the teenager, faster than he could back away.

"What are you doing?" He asked nervously.

"Returning you to where you belong. I've just made a deal with the devil, and that's not something a young boy like you needs to be seeing."

And then Nightmare woke up.

/*\

When Alice returned to the reality of her broken tower, she stood stunned for a moment.

She had encountered Nightmare.

And he had been little more than a child.

Alice huffed and took a deep breath. She knew that time was a strange concept in Wonderland. It didn't really have a consistent flow, so it was most likely just a fluke. A strange little hiccup in the turbulent river. It meant nothing, and if it did, she had no time to dwell on it.

She had the foreboding feeling that she had a game of Blackjack to attend.

/*\

When Alice exited the room, Joker smiled.

"Are you ready now?" He asked. Alice took his hand unflinchingly and stared straight into his one eye.

"I am." And flame engulfed the two.

/*\

The Warden explained what was going to happen.

"Here's how this is going to work," he said, leading the Dragon and Harlequin to the center of the prison. "The terms of the game are simple, Alice. You can play for the medicine, or you can forfeit and return to your tower." He stopped for just a moment, pointing his whip at the woman in question.

"What?" She hissed, her reptilian eyes narrowing.

"What did I just say?" He asked, challenging her.

"I can play or I can forfeit." She growled, sparks starting to emit from bricks and bars. The Warden smiled.

"Very good," he said, "you cannot say we didn't make the offer." He turned back to his route and continued speaking. In a matter of seconds, he was upon a large rectangular object. It had to be at least seventy feet tall and twice as wide. It was draped in a large velvet tarp, like a game prize that had yet to be revealed.

Alice was starting to have a bad feeling about this.

"As I was saying, you can play or forfeit. If you win, we will give you the medicine, an infinite amount to last you the rest of your days and you can live your life in peace." He stopped. Waiting for her to fill in the gap.

"And if you win?" She borderline whispered, never taking her eyes off the curtain. The Warden let a flicker of a smile cross his face, and he tore down the extraordinary length of velvet.

"You can still have the medicine," he stated, watching the horror dawn on the woman's face as she realized just what it was he proposed. "We're generous like that. Our only condition is that you live in this for as long as we see fit." Alice glared at him, angry and terrified and everything in between.

"You would have me a zoo animal?" She snarled, "An exhibit for your prisoners to laugh and jeer and look at?!" Immediately lines of fire laced over bricks and metal bars and wooden tables. The Harlequin was starting to worry. If she got too much angrier, she could literally explode.

"Not a zoo animal." He said, gently touching her shoulder, hoping to calm her down. She whirled on him and he jumped back, her entire body engulfed in flame.

"Then what?" she hissed.

"Our prisoner." The Warden answered before his counterpart could even open his mouth. "You are dangerous, Alice, it would be irresponsible of us to let you run rampant, even in a mostly sane state."

"So you mean to say it's your _job_. Your _duty_." She spat, "Remind me, when did you _ever_ care about keeping prisoners?"

"I care now," the Warden stated, stepping forward, "listen Alice, I don't want to imprison you. I really don't. You did nothing wrong. You've come to terms with your guilt, and became a part of the system. At the same time your Role left you helpless and ruthlessly destructive. You can't expect us to just sit back and pretend like it didn't happen."

For a moment, the Harlequin was worried that Alice was going to murder his counterpart, but apparently it had been the right thing to say. At the mention of all the people she hurt, transforming them or otherwise, she backed down.

The Warden was right. She was dangerous. If left to her own devices, the Jabberwocky might try to come back. She would absolutely force Alice to do some awful things. Maybe even worse than last time. It was perfectly reasonable that Joker would want to keep tabs on her. She needed that medicine.

But imprisonment?

For a moment all was silent, and finally Alice spoke. She turned to the Harlequin.

"Get the cards. I'm willing to play."

/*\

"No!" Alice screamed, toppling her chair as she backed away. No, there was no way that Joker could have won. How had he gotten the two Aces? And then a perfect twenty-one to boot? No, he had to have cheated, he had to have!

But it was still possible. There was no outright proof. It wasn't as though he'd shown off five aces or kings or jacks. She couldn't say anything. Alice had lost.

She'd lost the game, and now she would be sentenced to live in a cage for, she suspected, the rest of her unending life. She looked nervously at the silver bars, and swallowed.

"Will I at least get some privacy for bathroom purposes?" She asked stiffly. The Warden inclined his head.

"Of course. And the room is big enough in itself that you can move around as much as you like."

"But I cannot fly."

"No," The Harlequin answered softly, "you cannot fly."

With shaking hands and an iron will, Alice forced herself to step into the cage, no matter how much her instincts railed against it. She had made her bed. Now she had to lay in it. She was so angry, and terrified, and glancing nervously all around. When the lock finally clicked behind her tail, something happened. It was like magic, but not in the least bit friendly. When Alice touched one of the silver bars, it electrocuted her. She shrieked and leapt away, beginning to lash her tail in pure, unadulterated rage while she glared and moved about.

"Sorry Alice, but you lost. This is your life now." And afterwards the Warden started to recite the prison's schedule to her. When she would be woken up, given meals, bathroom time, etc. She listened for about a minute, but then something caught her eye. Immediately the prison, prisoners, Joker, it all faded away.

Alice couldn't bring herself to pay attention to anything other than the look on Julius's face as he watched the Warden tap his whip against the lower bars of her cage.

/*\

When Nightmare woke up in the middle of the train station, his breaths came and went in shallow pants, and he was assaulted by the anxious stares of several of his many employees. How had he ended up on the main platform, just a few feet off of the track? Why wasn't he up in his bed where he'd been hiding?

"Nightmare! Nightmare are you okay? I can't kill you until you're perfectly healthy you little brat! Nightmare?!" Gray?

"Gray." Nightmare said dully, vaguely trying to remember who "Gray" was. After that shocking revelation, Nightmare was having some trouble thinking. Gray…oh! Gray! He could help! The boy jumped up and grabbed the assassin's arm. "Gray! Follow me immediately, I have something really important to tell you!" And then, much to the Lizard's annoyance and confusion, Nightmare drug him away into his office. The boy couldn't stop himself from shooting a sideways glance at the Outsider before slamming the door in her face, a muffled "Sorry!" being her only consolation.

If all that had been real, if Alice had really taken the role of the Dragon in the Land of Heart...

They could have a serious problem on their hands.

**/*\**

**So…was this acceptable? Have I left you with something that you can stand to wait a little while? Just in case I have a hard time updating some more? Anyways, bad cliffhanger or not, I hope you liked it! I knew incorporating Dia would be risky, but I wanted to do it! See you guys soon, hopefully. R&amp;R!**

**-Static**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! So as you've noticed, I haven't really been updating a lot. Maybe twice a month, if I'm not busy. Well, there's a reason for that.**

**I'm getting published.**

**I wrote a novel, and right now I'm editing it. It's coming out this summer. I can't wait to share it! That being said, I also want to thank everyone who ever reviewed anything I ever wrote, whether it was simply to tell me you liked my ideas or to ream me for bad characterizations or inaccuracies. If it wasn't for some of the finer points that many of you had pointed out in my work, I don't think I would have been able to do this. **

**So thank you, and without further ado, the story!**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Pierce had never felt so on edge in his life. If Alice were here, she'd be telling him how courageous he was. It was a very brave thing he was doing, sneaking into mafia territory. Yes, very brave.

Or exceedingly stupid.

But, brave or stupid Pierce needed Elliot's help, and given how tense things were in Wonderland right now, he suspected that the hare might not be making any public appearances any time soon.

So, the mouse did his best to stay unseen. His ears strained to pick up the sounds of footsteps in the hallways, making sure he was out of sight in the window. He felt like he'd been standing at the door for hours, when it had only been a few minutes. He'd been braced for any of the various maids and butlers to enter the room, but all passed by his hiding place without a clue.

Finally, all was well. The house had fallen silent, at least silent enough for him to switch out spots.

Pierce darted out of the room, softly closing the door behind him. He zigged and zagged throughout the hallways and more than once he thought he'd been done for.

Maids voices would ring out far too close for his liking, and he could feel his tail twitch nervously each and every time he heard the all-too familiar click of a magazine sliding into a pistol. His ears swiveled back and forth each second, trying to figure out what he should do and where he should go with random noises coming at him from all directions.

Eventually, Pierce found it. Blood's office. He could hear the voices from inside. It sounded like the twins. A shudder rocked its way down his spine. He hated those two, but it sounded like they were giving a report to the Boss.

Boss. Blood hadn't been his boss for a long time.

_Old habits die hard I guess._

Pierce knew everyone else in the Mafia cared about the dragon. All he needed to do was mention Alice's name and he would have been hurried in without a hitch. However he needed someone who would understand and work around the situation. Blood was too caught up in his grief to properly hear him out, and he felt the Twins were self-explanatory.

The Hare was his best bet because he was the one keeping everything upright. He was making sure the mansions operations continued on without a hitch, and he was covering for the strange absences of his boss. He was the only one thinking rationally, or as rationally as any of them ever thought.

The mouse continued onward. If the Twins were reporting to Blood it was likely that they'd be there a while. Reports took a long time, especially when Blood was in a bad mood. Pierce made it down a few more hallways. Just a few more doors to go.

What Pierce had failed to remember was that nothing happened in this house without someone knowing. He had convinced himself that he'd been stealthy enough that no one had noticed him.

This was the Mafia. Somebody always knew.

Just as he was about to knock on the Hare's door, he felt a presence make itself known behind him. He felt the cold 'o' of a barrel press itself to the back of his neck, and his ears picked up the dreaded click of the safety.

"I never would have thought you'd have the guts to come back, never mind break in." Elliot stated. "What brings you here mouse?" It took every ounce of Pierce's courage to force his voice to be stable.

"You almost sound impressed." He remarked, unshaking. "Trust me. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important." The barrel pressed a little harder into his neck.

"Why. Are. You. Here?"

"It's not a subject that should be broached in the halls of a place under constant surveillance. You've got spies in here, don't you?"

"You expect me to bring you into my office alone?" Pierce had to stifle his laughter.

"You really think I can take you? Flattering, but very unlikely." Elliot didn't even flinch.

"Give me one reason to trust this." Pierce thought for a moment. What could he say that would both convey the severity of the situation and remain inconspicuous enough?

"Would you believe that wolves and deer could coexist?" Pierce questioned, his voice distant and musing. For a split second, the pressure on the gun lessened. Elliot was probably surprised.

As long as Pierce had been gone, he shouldn't have recalled the old Mafia codes. They wouldn't have been important. They changed all the time.

_Would you believe that wolves and deer could coexist?_ Or rather, "Did the mission fail?" In such a context, his sentence didn't make much sense. However, there were new circumstances. Elliot, though impulsive, wasn't quite as stupid as his peers thought him to be. He thought he understood Pierce's meaning. He lowered his weapon.

"In the office. Now."

Pierce's sigh of relief was so loud it could have woken the dead.

/*\

Nightmare had yanked Gray into his plush office, but before the teen could utter a single word his aide was all over him.

"What happened? Why did you fall? Did you spit out your medicine again? Did you blackmail another worker into getting you coffee?" Question after accusatory question. For once Nightmare had something important to say, but the wayward assassin wasn't having it. Each time the boy tried to answer a question, five more came flying at him. It was like he was still seven years old, powerful but still in need of adult care. He was seventeen now, and in that moment it was like nothing had changed.

It irked him far more than he cared to admit.

No, this would not do. Though he wasn't quite an adult yet, Nightmare knew his voice mattered. If he was grown up enough to fully take on his Role and be in charge of the Train Station, then he was grown up enough to force Gray to listen to what he needed to tell him.

And it certainly helped that he was infinitely more powerful than the assassin could ever hope to be.

A soft voice whispered instructions into Nightmare's mind. With a flick of the incubus's fingers, a gust of wind blew each and every window open. The glass cracked against the wall and shattered into what seemed like hundreds of thousands of shards. Gray fell silent. He wasn't unaware of his young charge's abilities, but Nightmare had always been very self-conscious about his powers. He wouldn't even reprimand a lying subordinate in public, because he hated handing out reminders that he wasn't actually human.

Yet here was, abusing one of his most destructive abilities in the hopes of getting Gray to shut up.

Nightmare waited for the clatter of broken glass to die down, and once all was silent he spoke.

"Will you let me talk now?" He growled, with a violent sort of authority that would have made a lesser man fall to the boys feet, begging for mercy. Gray had never been scared of Nightmare. The assassin had faced down things a hell of a lot scarier than a teenage boy, but he'd also never seen Nightmare wear such a serious expression before. Whatever he'd seen when he passed out, it left him extremely on edge and even afraid.

Though he had many faults, one thing that could be said for Nightmare was that he was courageous. Crysta unnerved him, but she didn't scare him. Threats of violence, he brushed off without a second thought. Gang attacks equated to light rain, for all he cared. The assassin had never seen the incubus genuinely afraid of anything before. Gray inclined his head.

"Go on." The tension in Nightmare's shoulders relaxed.

"Thank you." And he told the assassin everything.

/*\

Edith couldn't remember ever feeling so baffled in her life.

The weird Knight had led her deeper into the forest, despite all her protests, and he'd set up camp and gone hunting. Over the past few days this had been normal. Night would fall, the tent would go up, and a fire would start. He left Edith to her own devices for an hour or two, and then he'd return with dinner.

She'd learned a lot during her time with Ace, and she was more than a little surprised to find that the information he gave her was actually useful. He taught her how to tie tight knots, and plant tent stakes. He showed her how to make a fire in an emergency, and how to properly clean and dress rabbits.

He even showed her how to trap small animals, and this was the very thing that led her to her current predicament.

In an effort to demonstrate her knowledge to her new mentor, she had made it a goal to have something on the spit by the time he got back. She was hoping she'd be able to catch something, and she did.

It had been nearly an hour before Edith went back to check on her trap, and she had been delighted when she found the door collapsed.

Something had taken the bait!

When she peered in, however, Edith found herself confused.

Hares didn't generally wear clothes, did they? And they usually had faces too right?

"Um, excuse me?" The creature timidly spoke up, "Could you help me out of this trap? I'd get out myself, but if my family knows I've been wandering around in the woods again, I'll be in for it!"

Edith felt slightly disappointed. This wasn't an animal, it was a person that turned into an animal. The cat-man had demonstrated for her. She couldn't eat this. She moved to undo the trap when a thought struck her.

If this was actually a person…

Then maybe she could get some directions!

/*\

When Nightmare finished his story, Gray had needed to sit down. No, there was no way. The boy had to be mistaken. He could be delusional. He'd been refusing to take his medicine, after all. Perhaps his illness had simply progressed.

That theory became thinner and thinner with each moment the assassin stared at his charge. Nightmare stood tall, serious, and entirely lucid, waiting for Gray to respond. No, he hadn't hallucinated anything.

The assassin had to think for a moment.

"Do you know what country she's in?" Nightmare shook his head.

"I think she might be in Heart, but there's no way to be certain. She said something about 'making a deal with the devil'. It's possible she might be in Joker instead."

"What did she call it?"

"She didn't say. She was thinking of everything in terms of Heart, but the images in her mind said Joker." Nightmare paused. "She knew me."

"Did she?"

"She was comparing me to the other one."

"The older one." The boy nodded his head, his face falling a little. Then his one eye glanced back to the other Role Holder.

"She was older too. Our Alice is what, sixteen? The one I saw in the Dream Realm had to have been at least twenty." In hopes of lightening the atmosphere, Gray smirked.

"Does she at least dress better, as the Jabberwocky?" Nightmare grinned,

"By the looks of it, she's taken to her own tastes, rather than clinging to her sisters'."

"Then something good came out of this." Gray teased, making the young boy laugh, but it was short lived.

"She thought she was hallucinating." Nightmare murmured. "She thought I was a product of her imagination. She's good at hiding her thoughts, but I could still hear a little. Her Role drove her to the brink of insanity. It-it made her…." Nightmare couldn't even complete the thought. He wasn't even sure what it was that he'd seen. He remembered blood and feathers and ripped scales. She'd had a bandage on her wing.

"It made her…?" Gray prompted. Nightmare looked at him with a troubled gaze, and Gray felt his clock sink.

Nightmare was young, but he had very little innocence left. The ability to read minds and see into dreams could really take its toll. Gray had never needed to have 'The Talk' with Nightmare because he'd known the ins-and-outs of sex by the time he was seven. He didn't need to explain the complexities of things such as torture or politics because the twelve-year-old demon had gotten all the explanation he needed during one visit to Mafia territory. He saw every single malicious thought to ever pass through the minds of others, whether it was torture, murder or worse.

No, nothing bothered Nightmare, but this did. What he'd seen this time had managed to corrupt him just a little bit more, and Gray pitied him. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, however, Nightmare glowered.

"I don't need your pity Gray." He said. "It's simply a fact of what I am."

"What do you think we should do? If this is her fate our hands are tied. There's nothing we _can_ do for her." Nightmare stared down at the floor pensively, and when he spoke again his voice was soft, careful. It was like he knew something bad could happen as a result of his words, but they needed to be said.

"What if we were to speak with _him_?"

Gray did not like where this was going.

/*\

If anything upset Alice more than her imprisonment, it was the look on Julius's face when he saw her.

First he was surprised, then horrified, then angry. He wasted no time stepping forward, and the Harlequin moved to block his way.

"She is our prisoner." He said. Julius stared down at the one-eyed man.

"By what rule? She may have caused a certain amount of destruction, but that was not her fault."

"It was her Role, we know." The Harlequin attempted to placate him, "All the same, we have to keep an eye on her."

"You can do that without imprisonment."

"But this is easier." The Warden said. "Besides, she agreed to the game, and she lost. She was fully aware of the consequences beforehand."

_Shit_. The Role said, echoing Juilus' own thoughts. _If she agreed to play there isn't much we can do._ Julius looked to the woman in the cage, trying to think of anything that might help.

"Is that true?" He asked. She opened her mouth to answer, but she was interrupted.

"She hurt a lot of people, Clock Master." The Warden remarked. "That can make any decent person feel pretty guilty."

When Julius turned his gaze to the cage once more, Alice was hanging her head. She looked to be incredibly sad. The look on her face was the exact same one she'd worn the day he'd met her. Lost, alone, dazed, and ever so angry at the person who'd left her trapped in a place she didn't want to be.

He shoved past the Harlequin and approached the cage. The Warden dramatically stepped away, pretending to give them space.

"Alice," the Clock Maker said, "I'm going to help you figure this out."

"There's nothing to figure out." She said. "I lost. I can choose to either stay here and keep my sanity, or I can break out and let her loose again. There are no good choices here." Julius shook his head.

"That's not true. You just didn't know where to look. Stay, try not to kill them, and I will return." With that he turned away and walked out of the prison. It wasn't until he left that Alice spoke.

"You say that as if you think I have a choice." She whispered.

**/*\**

**I think that went well. Leave a review if you like!**

**-Static**


	17. Chapter 17

**My god I haven't looked at this in ages. I am so sorry.**

**-Static**

**/*\**

The worst thing about the prison wasn't the screaming, the leering, or even Joker's blatant abuse of his own power. No those were all bad, but they weren't the worst. If there was anything that drove Alice near insanity it was that _nothing ever changed._ Every day was exactly the same. She woke up at _this _time. She was allowed to bathe when _they _said so. She could eat _exactly _when the night period arrived.

There was no variety. Her time was spent predictably and in accordance with what other people wanted. She could wander her cell all she liked, but the space became droll and familiar very quickly. What little control she had managed to take over her own life had been viciously snatched from her, and yet that was not the thing that infuriated her most.

No, the worst part of her imprisonment wasn't the imprisonment itself but rather that she was entirely bored. She glared at her captor in between the bars.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you? It's bad manners to stare." She lilted. He chuckled.

"Actually, someone did. I just don't care." He responded. He stepped closer to the enormous cage, and had the audacity to lean on the electric silver bars. She tilted her head at him.

"Why don't they hurt you?"

"Because they are a product of my power." He answered simply. She nodded her head. That was unusually straightforward for him.

"Why do you insist on loitering around here? Don't you have better things to do than terrorize me?" She asked, turning around. She could almost feel his eyes boring into her skin.

"Well for starters, you are my most attractive prisoner. Your shameless clothing choices prove it." He goaded. Alice snorted. She wore a floor length dress with overly long sleeves, yet an open back made her shameless? How quaint. Sliding her tail along the stone floor she spoke.

"In case you haven't noticed, that kind of modesty isn't really an option for me. I am no longer human. The rules are a bit different now." She stated this as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Joker hummed behind her.

"I wonder-would your family agree?" He mused.

"It hardly matters. I will never see them again."

/*\

Julius paced in his office, back and forth and back and forth. He ignored the broken clocks on the table, much to the apprehension of the voice in his head.

_That's an awful lot of clocks._ It said.

"Do you want me to save Alice or not? Because right now, I feel that takes a little more precedence."

_Well of course._ It answered, maybe a little too defensively._ You just make sure to keep an eye on that pile. We can't have the populace going extinct._

"Relax."

_Yes, yes, I know. But he has her, and he did it within the constraints of the rules. I told you before, there isn't much you can do. Hell, there's not much _I _can do._

"But something can be done, yes?" Julius prodded, stilling in the midst of the organized chaos of his living space. The voice's reply was slow in coming.

_Technically, yes. But you're not going to like it._

"I don't like most things. Tell me what it is."

/*\

Nightmare was not pleased. He knew what had to happen, what he had to do in order to potentially save Alice. Now that he knew what happened to her other self he began to notice things, things he might not have seen otherwise.

She had been assertive before, but now she was dominant in her entirety. Instead of having to defend her when she was confronted with a particularly rude faceless, she rejected the help and reamed whoever had insulted her. In the face of a complicated situation she had the faceless running around at her beck and call, where before she had been adamant they not treat her like an authority. Instead of patience and understanding, she now reacted to disrespect with anger and annoyance. And oftentimes with very cold logic. All traits that belonged to dragons.

In fact, right now something was going incredibly wrong. Nightmare was walking along, preparing to greet Alice. She was walking through the station carrying something, and just as her boss was about to call out it happened. She had been knocked over by someone, and as soon as she went down the man had whirled and pulled a gun. For a moment everything froze, and Alice stared up at her attacker with a mixture of fear and anger. The man commanded her to stand up, slowly, and to kick away the box of paper she had dropped. Her hair had fallen out of its bun, and it hung in haphazard locks around her glowering face as she slowly did what the man said. Her stance said she was ready to fight, but it also said something else. It spoke of inexperience.

"Good," the man said, "now-" But he hadn't the opportunity to finish his sentence. Almost as soon as he'd spoken, his body erupted into flame. Even Alice jumped back, surprised. She stood there petrified as the other faceless employees turned and ran, screaming for help.

It didn't take long for the man to die, the worst was over by the time Nightmare was able to rush to her side.

"Are you okay?" The teen had asked, checking for injury. She brushed him off and stared at the charred red mess that used to be a person.

"What happened?" She squeaked. "He-he just–"

"Relax." A new voice intervened. Gray approached alongside the tracks and he examined the scene calmly, watching as the bloody remains faded away into nothing more than a clock. He picked it up and chucked it at a waiting after image.

"Gray?" The woman quietly said.

"It was probably a fluke in one of the gas pipes." He said, pointing upwards to the ceiling. "We run some pretty archaic power sources here. It's likely that there was an error and it set him on fire."

"But the fire had no source–" She started, but Nightmare interrupted.

"It can look like that sometimes." He'd interjected. "A tiny leak could be unnoticeable if unexpected. A drop or two could have fallen onto his shoulder. It would be nothing for a fire to start." To this, Alice's brows furrowed in confusion.

"But where did the source come from?" She quietly wondered. Gray shrugged.

"That I couldn't tell you." He stated. "Take the rest of the day off. You look pretty freaked out. We can handle things."

"Are you sure?" She asked. "Because I can still work if you need me to." Nightmare waved a hand.

"Nah, it's fine. The station isn't exactly busy. Gray and I can handle it. Go back to your room and get some sleep. You've been telling me how exhausted you are. Maybe it'll help?" For a second she did nothing, then slowly Alice nodded. She didn't believe him, but as long as she was able to calm down it didn't really matter. If she really was becoming the Jabberwocky, then she might like the idea of time off. If there was one thing dragons liked more than being obeyed, it was sleep.

"Maybe I'll do that." She muttered. "Well okay then. I'll just be on my way." And still holding a perturbed look on her face, she turned and walked away.

Gray shot Nightmare a meaningful look and Nightmare subtly nodded. This could not go on.

/*\

Vivaldi was not unaware of the happenings within Wonderland. After all, she was a queen on the proverbial chess board. Her role was important in more ways than one, and so she knew that Joker had somehow managed to trick Alice into a cage. She knew that the Clockmaker was looking for a way to save her, and she had every intention of helping him.

Though the Queen did not usually care for men, Julius held a small modicum of her respect. Yes, she wanted the girl to choose her brother. After all it would make the two siblings very happy, if for drastically different reasons. However she could not deny that the Clockmaker had treated her infinitely better. He was kind where Blood was cross. Respectful where Blood was domineering. Vivaldi knew that the Clockmaker genuinely had Alice's best interests at heart, and unfortunately she could not claim to know in regards to Blood.

Though disappointed in her brother, Vivaldi couldn't help but to smile. Julius was an even more powerful player in Wonderland than Blood, or even the Queen herself. Like her he wanted to save Alice, and for all the right reasons. That alone made him her most valuable ally.

/*\

Footsteps sounded down the corridors as Nightmare and Gray made their way to their destination. Bars and bricks seemed to pass them by, and one of the "twins" met them just as they made it there.

Just ahead was a large cage, covered by a crimson velvet tarp. _This is it. _The boy thought to himself. _This is where they're holding the other Alice._ And then he spoke.

"The _original _Alice. She showed up here long before the other one arrived in Dia."

"Rather, the older one you mean." Gray corrected. "Time works in strange ways here, Joker. She is not the 'original'. Just the eldest incarnation."

"Perhaps." The clown answered, disinterested. He turned and lightly took hold of the curtain. "So I take it you want to talk to her?" He inquired. Slowly Nightmare nodded his head.

"That's exactly what I want."

"Why?" Joker asked, releasing the fabric. He tapped the riding crop against his boot and studied the boy with his one eye. "What makes you think you can simply waltz in here and make demands? This is not your territory."

"No." Nightmare answered. "It's not. But if Alice became the Jabberwocky it affects _everything._ New territory will come into play. New roles will accompany hers. I – all of us – must plan for the future. I'd be doing talks like this with her in her territory if she wasn't here."

Joker smiled.

"I'm sure you would be. Very well. I'll indulge you just this once, little whelp. But only because this promises to be very entertaining. You have ten minutes."

With a sweeping motion of his hand, he brought down the curtain. Nightmare thought he was braced for what was about to happen. He had prepared himself for the sight of Alice, and her wings and her tail. He had prepared himself to face a woman, capable of rational thought and feeling.

What stood before him was not a woman. It was not even human, and it most certainly wasn't Alice.

No, standing tall and powerful before him was no such creature. At first he thought he was staring at an enormous mirror, until the silver began to ripple and shift around. It must have been at least twenty stories tall, and it still had its head lowered. Tiny fins decorated the triangular head, and wings slowly started to unfold from a sleek body. A forked tongue flicked out from the creatures slender muzzle, and Nightmare could only imagine what the teeth might have looked like. Wicked looking talons scraped the floor, and a delicate spearhead articulately pointed the over-long tail it wore. No, this definitely was not Alice.

This was a dragon.

**/*\**

**I'll update another something tomorrow. I promise. Life just kinda sorta happened.**

**-Static**


End file.
